Myobi
by SongSiren
Summary: It's ten years after the Chunin exams. Gaara's the Kazekage and his village hasn't seen a better decade yet. War and famine have fled the land as quickly as the bandits. Of course, just because the people are happy doesn't mean the Kage is...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know you people are probably going to think me completely and totally evil and moronic for writing this fic with having such a scant amount of knowledge on what happens in Naruto after a certain point but… I'm bored! I've read some other fics and I have a pretty good idea of what's happening after Sauske leaves: Gaara becomes Kazekage, Sauske eventually comes back, Naruto eventually becomes Hokage (some think he's the 6****th**** others the 7****th****), Sakura is a skilled medic nin, Shukkau is gone but Gaara still controls the sand, and Gaara and Naruto are more or less friends. Anyway, that's about all I know so bear with me.**

**Wow, if you really read all that you have a better attention span than me.**

**I know Gaara is OOC in this chapter, but close to ten years or friends and having to deal with his people's moaning gives him a little patience. Besides, how can I off my character in the first chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of my other favorite animes. **

It was a sunny day. Just like the day before that and the day before that. Just as it would be the next day. In Suna, it was _always_ a sunny day. Of course, the Kazekage would not notice that the sparse hard grass that managed to push its way up from the ground looked greener on that day with not a cloud in the sky or that the cactuses were sprouting small pink and yellow flowers.

No, all the Kazekage would notice would be a cry for help or a sense of impending doom. On such a beautifully sunny day, however, the only doom that one would see would be the pile of paperwork that towered two feet high on the Kazekage's desk. But doom was doom and the youngest Kage ever would meet it head on.

Kazekage Gaara looked up, as there was a knock at the door. His sister, Temari was poking head in. They stared at each other for a minute before she entered the office. She firmly planted her feet on the on the floor and put her hands on her hips. Ever since Gaara had stopped threatening her years ago, the part of older sister fitted her perfectly. He had a feeling today was no different.

"Gaara, you've been up here for hours, come with Kabuto and me to lunch today."

"No."

"It'll be good for you and good for your image as Kazekage."

_There we go. The duty trip. Next is…_

"Come on, you haven't gone out with us in ages…"

_There's the guilt trip. And finally…_

"GET UP RIGHT NOW!!!"

_Sigh. Things were much easier when I could kill her without a second thought. _The truth was now that Temari acted like his sister, even after all these years, when she worked herself up, she was terrifying. "Fine." He said, getting up and strapping his gourd to his back.

"Hey, glad to see ya agreed." His brother, Kankuro, said as he walked down the steps.

"Hn. It was a choice between a rather painful headache because of my sister's yelling or a headache because of my brother's disgusting eating habits. I choose the latter." Gaara allowed his dry sense of humor to poke through.

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Kankuro yelled indignantly.

"Says you!" said Temari, pushing past him. "Come on, Gaara, we need to get to the restaurant before your fan club realizes you've come out of the cave." She said, referring to her nickname for his dimly lit office.

"Hn."

They walked through the village, going unnoticed for the first few blocks because Gaara only wore his Kage robes on formal occasions, but soon his flaming red hair and conspicuous gourd drew attention from the hordes of girls (and in some cases, guys) that claimed to have loved him since he was a child.

He ignored the girls and Kankuro's playful jealous remarks as he followed Temari. Suddenly, Tamtat, one of the guards for the gates of Suna ran up to them. He bowed and Gaara briefly acknowledged him with a curt nod.

"Kazekage-sama, there has been reports of a camp out in the desert. Our ninja have said that the camp was abandoned when they saw it, but had to leave quickly because they heard the person coming. The information they gathered was that the camp is one mile away from the village, just beyond the dunes. This person was most likely male and had been traveling for awhile."

Gaara nodded. "If the person does not move by sunset, report back to me." He said shortly.



Gaara smirked. After an annoying lunch with his loud siblings and hours of paperwork, sunset had finally come. Apparently the camper had not moved. Though he usually did not condone violence, he admitted that it would be nice if the man gave him a reason to release his pent-up frustration.

Which explained why he was traveling alone under the protection of his hardened sand sphere in the middle of a sandstorm. Suna was famous for their sand storms that crept upon the village at night, but this one was exceptionally powerful. Had anyone lower than a Jounin been out in the storm, they would have been swept off their feet. He wondered if the man was still out there or if he was even still alive.

Tamtat had said that the camp was set up one mile from the village, near the dried oasis. Gaara knew the place well; when he was a child, before his uncle had tried to kill him, he had been taken there every now and then. It was a small pond, with a single green tree and a few bushes. Nothing special, but to the lonely boy it signified something more- life, the love of his uncle, and some time to be away. There was a sand storm many years ago, completely choking the small oasis of everything living. Now only the twisted tree and lonely roots remained.

A flicker of light caught his attention. He continued moving forward, cautiously. A few hundred yards away, it became obvious that the flicker was a fire, but… who could light a fire with winds going eighty miles per hour?

He approached the camp. He frowned. There was indeed a fire, flickering but still, not going out. A dark mass that he guessed was a person was laying next to the fire, on the other side, not being blown by the sand and wind like he should, but calm and apparently sleeping. The half of the tree shook and its limbs were being stripped away, but part of it was still a peaceful.

He stepped toward the small camp, but as he came within five feet of the fire, his sand barrier came in contact with something else. He was pushed back. His eyes widened. It didn't hurt, but still, it was surprising. A purple mist glowed before him for a moment, then faded. The person stirred.

They sat up and pulled back a hood of the robe they wore. Black hair fell forward and empty eyes stared at him for a moment. Gaara's breath caught in his throat, though he didn't show his surprise. Her (for there was no mistaking that this was a woman) eyes were like his… well, at least in essence. Like him, her pupil was so small that it was indiscernible. They were dark purple, almost black and were so… empty. There was loneliness and hopelessness there that he knew so well. He felt a twinge sympathy, but did not let his guard down.

She walked over to him and put her hand out. Gaara thought that she was going to touch his face, but the purple mist was there again. This time Gaara recognized it as a charka signature. The charka seemed to fall away where she put her hand, like water disturbed from falling. She stepped under disturbance and motioned for him to go through.

He hesitated, but she put an arm up against the wind and once again motioned inside. She didn't look like she was strong in any sense of the word, so he ducked under. The first sense was surprise. His sand, though strong, still allowed him to feel the resistance of the wind. Now, however, it was as if he was in a house. He looked around a saw that they were in a dome, barely visible save for the rushing sand around them. He heard a sucking noise and turned his attention back to the girl.

She wore the normal robes for the desert, which covered her from ankle to neck, with a hood to be pulled around her face. Black hair pooled in the hood of her robe, but some made its way out. From what he could tell, it went down to just above her waist. She was young, probably his age if not a few years younger. That only heightened his suspicion. What would a young girl be doing in the desert…

"Have you been sent to kill me?"

Her hollow voice startled Gaara from his thoughts. He stayed silent.

"It's all right if you have been. I was just wondering. Here," she said. She dug in her pockets until she found something. "It's fake, but it'll get your superiors to think that the job is done."

She held out a black stone. Gaara stared. What was he supposed to do with this? And how could she talk about her own death so lightly? He glared into her deep purple eyes.

"Hm? Not an assassin, huh? Or maybe you want me dead for another reason." She put a curled finger to her chin and seemed to think on it.

"I will not kill you unless you give me reason to." He said brusquely.

She shrugged. "Oh, I'll probably give you reason to. But, hey, that might take another couple years."

"Why are you here?"

"Because there is a sandstorm out there." She said, turning away and heading back to her spot on the other side of the fire.

Gaara's patience was being tested. He raised a hand and sand grabbed her around the waist and turned her roughly towards him. Her eyes widened. Gaara took enjoyment in her fear… for a second. She smiled impishly at him.

"Oh, so you didn't like my answer?" She said sweetly.

"Don't' turn your back on me, woman."

Gaara's sand collapsed in on itself. Gaara looked around wildly before seeing the woman on the other side of the fire.

"Don't tell me what to do, man."

Gaara struggled to keep his anger and confusion in check. "What do you want from Suna?"

"Suna?" The girl cocked her head. "Why is it close by?"

Had Gaara been a normal person, he would have sweat dropped. What else was in the middle on the desert? "Yes."

"Hm… I haven't been there in awhile" She said, thinking out loud.

"Do you know where you are?" Gaara asked patiently.

She shrugged. "In the desert."

"That much I thought was obvious."

She nodded. "Yup. So, can you tell me where Suna is." She thought for a minute. "I wonder who's in charge now. The last guy was awful."

"I am the Kazekage." Gaara waited for the comment about his height, about his youth, about his weird look, but none came.

"Oh really? You must be pretty good. Hope you're doing better than those other freaks on power trips."

"Hn. Are you planning on visiting Suna?" He was trying to get used to her blunt manner of speaking. To tell the truth, it was refreshing. Too many people lied and sugarcoated things if they thought he didn't want to hear them. Of course, she could just be a good shinobi.

"I think that would be good. At least, for a time." A thoughtful look came upon her as she gazed at the stars through the swirling sand. "Yes, that will be fine."

**A/N: So was it awful? Do you want more? Come on, I need feedback, people!!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: All right, someone liked my story!!**

**Takira is an adaptation of Kira, which means 'dark', and Takara, which means 'treasure'.**

**Disclaimer: I do no own Naruto.**

"So, is there a hotel anywhere that I can stay?"

Gaara pointed to the couch. The trek back t his home had been fairly silent, though if the talked their voices would have been drowned out by the howling wind. Now that they were standing in his home, he really wasn't sure what to do with the girl. Luckily, he didn't have to say anything.

"Hey, looks like little brother finally brought home a chick." Kakuro said, coming down the stairs with his hands in his pockets. "So who's your girlfriend, Gaara?"

Gaara realized he didn't even know the woman's name. He turned around to see her glaring at Kankuro. "She's not my girlfriend. What's your name?" He asked.

"Takira." She said shortly.

Kankuro grinned. "Well, _Takira_, I'm Kankuro." He stuck out his hand.

She eyed him warily. "All right, I can play nice, too." She took his hand and gave it one firm shake.

"What's going on in here?" Temari came from the kitchen, which was connected to the living room.

"Hey, what's for dinner?" Kankuro asked, looking at the brown goop on Temari's wooden spoon.

Temari looked at it too. She hung her head. "It was supposed to be stew." She noticed Takira. "And who are you?" She said, straightening.

Takira raised an eyebrow. "Wow, I've never been asked this question so many times in one night. I'm Takira."

"And her bark's worse than her bite." Added Kankuro.

"I haven't bitten you yet, so don't be so sure." Takira said icily. Kankuro grinned under his hood; something Gaara knew meant a lecherous remark. Before he had time to open his mouth however, Takira turned back to Termai. "Do you want some help in the kitchen?"

Temari nodded. "Yeah, that'll probably be for the best. I'm Temari, by the way."

As the girls left, Kankuro turned to his little brother. "The first girl you bring home just has to be completely annoying?" He said, shaking his head and chuckling.

Gaara and Kankuro sat at the small plastic four-corner table that was in the kitchen. The kitchen was longer than it was wide, having an empty back wall, a refrigerator and three counters on the other wall, and finally a sink, stove and counter on the last wall. Next to the last counter there was a door that led out to the barren back yard. In the corner, the square table with one extra chair was stuck.

Temari tried to look as if she was busying herself, getting things or moving them back, but in reality, she was watching every move Takira made. Gaara did as well as the woman added things into the bubbling mixture on the stove.

After awhile, Takira cleared her throat. "If you want to watch me, then I suggest you do it." She stirred some green stuff into the pot. (A/N: I highly doubt that Gaara knows what basil is.)

Temari was surprised, but after a moment, came to stand next to Takira and watched her like a hawk. Soon, she was finished and looked at Temari.

"A little help, please?"

"What?" Temari, asked surprised. She had obviously been thinking rather hard.

"I don't know where your plates are, and unless you like to do the fondue thing, your going to eat out of this pot."

"Oh, right." Temari hurried to do as Takira asked, as the girl brought the pot to the table.

After the portions had been spooned out, Kankuro eyed the brown mixture suspiciously. "How do we know you didn't poison it?"

Takira shrugged and mixed the stew around in her bowl. "You don't, really. But just so you know, poison's not my thing. It's for people who need a shortcut out of a job." She popped the spoon in her mouth.

After a minute of watching if she keeled over on the spot, Gaara took the next bite. It wasn't a chef's masterpiece, but it wasn't bad, either. Salty, and had some unidentifiable meat in there, probably burnt by Temari. Soon the clang of spoons hitting the bottom of the china bowls was heard.

Takira got up. "I'll do the dishes."

Temari shook her head. "No you won't. You cooked and you're a guest. Kankuro will wash the dishes."

"AWWw, but I don't wannna…"

Temari looked at him with fire in her eyes. Enough said.

"I'll be working." Muttered Gaara, getting up and going back into the living room, where the stairs were located.

Later that night, Gaara went down the steps. Since he lost Shakkau, he was able to sleep, but he still had insomnia for some reason. He would normally check on Temari and Kankuro before heading to the roof. Tonight, he went down to check on the girl currently sleeping in his living room.

Takari's hair splayed around her face and down almost the floor. Her desert robes were being used as a pillow. In normal clothes (i.e.: tank top and shorts) there was no mistaking her as felmale, but he could also see other things about her that were less along the lines that he dubbed 'Kankuro thinking' Such as her very well tanned skin was taunt over lean muscles and that she had a tattoo of the crescent moon around her naval.

He had been down there for all of a minute before her eyes flew open and her hand reached for a kunai package on the table. Gaara quickly used the sand to retreat to his favorite spot on the roof.



_I know someone was in here. _Takari thought suspiciously. _Oh well, it's not like they can hurt me. _She sat back down, but didn't go to sleep. _Oh, girl, what did you get yourself into this time?_

As the sun's first rays kissed the horizon, Takari crept upstairs. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were cloudy teal color. Three trails of charka were shown in a black and white world. She followed Gaara's red as uposed to Temari's and Kankuro's blue. She crept, in going back into her old ways of work. Gaara wasn't even in there. She laid a note on the pillow of his still-made bed and quickly left the house, unaware of the green eyes that watched her.

**A/N: So did anyone else like it? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Apparently you guys don't hate it! Cool!**

**I don't know the money conversion, so just deal with dollars and cents instead of yen.**

**Disclaimer: I have typed I do not own Naruto thirteen times this summer. I understand that, now let's move on.**

Gaara went back to his room and was surprised to find his door slightly ajar. His sand churned in his gourd, ready to strike at any moment. He opened his door and saw the note immediately.

His room didn't have much in it; a bookshelf full of nonessential books that he never read, his huge bed with luxurious red and black bedspreads that he never used, and a wardrobe full of fancy clothes he had the extreme desire to burn. The white note on his crimson pillow stuck out like a sore thumb. He opened it and read the flowing script.

_Thanks for giving me a place to stay for the night._

_Tell me when you figure out how I can pay you back._

_Takira _

Below her name was a simple summoning scroll. Gaara raised an eyebrow. She definitely was different.



Takira felt the pull of the summoning scroll a minute before she disappeared. _Well, that was fast. _She though. But when she looked up, she saw a flash of white and knew immediately that this was not the Kazekage summoning her…



"Temari…"

"NO, Gaara. Yesterday you were distracted all through lunch so today we're going to try it again, besides what can it hurt getting out of the cave once and awhile?" Temari said, attempting to drag her brother along.

"Hey, what's that?" Kankuro pointed to a growing crowd.

The siblings walked towards a growing crowd, who parted ways to allow the Kazekage through. A young man with white hair stood in the center of the ring. Gaara recognized him as a Jounin that worked under him. The man wasn't particularly good, in fact he was lucky to be a Jounin, and Gaara couldn't even remember his name. Around him were three higher-ranking Jounin, all of whom Gaara predominantly disliked. They were usually drunk or finding ways out of their duties; in essence, a drain on the Sand village.

The white haired man's face was barely visible and his hand slapped on the floor. Gaara saw him bite his finger then press it on a summoning scroll. His eyes narrowed as the crowd gasped. People's shadows ran to the man who jumped back. The gray-brown of the desert shadows collected in the center of the man-made ring and turned pitch black. A black-haired head rose slowly from the shadows. Gaara recognized her as soon as her eyes were visible. Takira. She rose from the shadows in a crouching position. When she was fully through, people's shadows returned. She turned to the white-haired man.

"You called?" she asked icily. She did not seem happy to be there.

"Uh… yeah. Get them!" The white haired man pointed at the three Jounin dramatically.

Takira eyed them for a minute, and then turned her back on them to look at the man. "You're kidding, right? You called me out here for _this_?"

"Please…" the man whined.

"Stop degrading yourself." She said harshly.

A kunai cut through the air. Gaara was about to raise his sand to help, but the kunai stopped first. Takira held it between two fingers. She turned around and twirled the knife between her fingers, as if considering it.

"Good aim, even when you're drunk. Bad judgment. Not a good trait for a shinobi." She said. "All right, I'll take care of them, but only because they pissed me off."

In the blink of an eye, she was gone. Gaara scanned the surrounding area for her. There was a thump and the one who threw the kunai was on the ground unconscious. A few seconds later, the other two were on the floor. Takira appeared where she had been and threw the kunai at the unconscious man's face. She seemed to just notice the crowd.

"All right, show's over. You heard me, shoo!" She waved her hands.

The crowd seemed to realize together that no one was going to get the crap beaten out of them, and left. All except the three sand siblings. They watched as Takira rounded on the white-haired Jounin.

"Hand them over."

"Er… I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Now!" She said firmly, glaring at the man.

"Um… here." The man dug in his pocket and handed he a small scroll.

Takari glared at him for a moment before putting two fingers to her lips. A jet of fire reached out and suddenly the man was running around screaming.

"That might have been a _little_ impulsive."

"I'll say."

Takari jumped and spun around. Temari was grinning and Kankuro was on the floor laughing. Gaara of course was staring blankly at her, though his eyes held some amusement. Takari smiled and made some hand signs. The fire on the man's pants died away.

"Was that necessary?" he asked.

"Yes." Takari said. She turned to the Sand siblings. "Thanks for last night, um… I really don't have any money so as soon as I have a job…"

"Hey, how about working for us?" Kakuro said, jumping up. Temari and Gaara looked at him questioningly. "Come on, guys. We all know Temari can't cook to save her life and there's no way in hell that I'm going to touch the stove after last time (A/N: use your imagination here.) so why can't she work for us?"

"Uh, hello, ninja here, not maid."

"Hey maid's even better." Kankuro said.

"Dude, focus." Takari snapped her fingers in front of his face. "I. Am. A. Ninja. I don't do cleaning."

"Where's your headband?" Temari asked, curious.

"At the bottom of a lake." Takari shrugged.

"What village are you from?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

"Yes." Gaara answered for his sister.

"How'd this go from a job application to interrogation?"

"Takira! Do you know who this is!" cried out the Jounin.

"Yes. Temari. Kankuro. And Gaara." She pointed to them each in turn.

"And the Kazekage of Suna!"

Takira shrugged. "What kind of temporary jobs are open in Suna?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed at her evasion of the question.

"Well, Suna is an entirely self-sufficient village, so we don't do trade and everyone does their own type of art that gets the money." Temari started to explain. "I can bring you on a tour tomorrow and show you some places you can apply. What are the things you are good at?"

"Um… I'm a master at stealth, and endurance…"

"You don't have an art, do you?" Temari said, amused.

"No."

"Reconsidering my offer?" Kankuro said.

"How much money do I get?"

Kankuro thought for a minute. "Free room and board and… seven dollars a week."

Takira sighed. "What are the terms?"

"Complete house clean everyday…"

"Cooking, three square meals." Chirped in Temari.

"Yeah, cooking and… anything else we think of."

Takira was silent for a minute. She looked at each and everyone's faces. "I really don't have a choice, do I?"

"Not really." Temari grinned. She threw an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Hey, don't worry. It'll be fun!"

"Yeah, and while you girls are playing aleepover, I'm going to go make more scrolls."

Takira disappeared. The Jounin started to sink into the sand. He yelled.

"Shut up, Taro" Takira was back again. Only Gaara noticed that her feet were still buried in the sand and slowly coming out of it.

"What am I supposed to do? I'm up to my waist in sand!!!"

"Calm down." Taro took a few deep breaths and Takira smiled. "It's not that hard is it? So, I guess I should get going on my first day on the job." Takira spoke to the Sand siblings. She started walking back the way they came, grabbing Taro's head on the way. She dragged him out of the sand and left him in the dust.

**A/N: Wasn't sure how to end this. Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm going on the theory that even though the houses are made of sand, they are hardened into a plaster so that they could be painted.**

**Disclaimer: You have absolutely no listening skills.**

"Mmmph!"

"How did you get stuck in the wall?"

"Mmmph mpmm tmm!" Kankuro's arms and legs waved wildly and he screamed into the robin's egg paint. Half his face looked as if it had sunk into the wall.

Temari sweat dropped. "Well, that's helpful." She heard a light humming. She poked her head out of the wood-framed opening to the living room. Takira was de-sanding the banister. "Takira, do you know how Kankuro got his head stuck in the wall?"

"Yes." Takira said, nodding.

Temari ignored Kankuro's muffled yells. "How did he get his head stuck in the wall?"

"He kept starring at my ass after I told him not to." Takira didn't even look up from her work.

Temari was silent for a minute. Then she burst out laughing. Kankuro's panicked yells only increased her laughter until she was on the floor, tears rolling down her face.

"What's going on in here?" Gaara's cool voice was heard as he entered the house from a meeting with his Anbu sentries.

Takira sighed. "This is the last time I'm explaining this. Kankuro was staring at me ass as I was cleaning the kitchen. I gave him a fair warning, and when he continued, I shoved his face into the wall. Temari asked what happened, I told her, she started laughing." She said this in the same monotone, as if it really didn't matter.

Gaara smirked. "That's what you get for being a lecher." He said just loud enough for everyone to hear.

Temari smiled and Kakuro relaxed for a second hearing their bother joke. There was a faint _pop!_ And Kakuro's head cam out of the wall, courtesy of the one who put him there in the first place.

"I will get my vengeance!" He declared loudly.

"You're starting to sound like me, Kankuro."

Everyone whirled around to see two men standing in the doorway. One wore a Jounin vest and had murky borwn hair. Takira noticed in her mind's eye that Temari's charka pressure spiked when she saw him. Either he did something that made her really mad… or she was blushing. The other was darkly handsome. He had black eyes and hair and wore black clothes. He stood at an angle. Takira tensed as she saw the Uchiha clan symbol.

"Uchiha, Shikamaru." Gaara nodded at them. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"The Hokage thought it would be nice to give you notice before he stops by in a week." Shikamaru answered. "And we need a place to crash for a week while we wait for our Hokage."

Gaara nodded his head. "Of course. As the Hokage's… friends," Takari noticed he winced slightly, no more than an eye tic, "you are welcome in my home. Maid, move your things downstairs."

"Already taken care of. Don't have things, don't have to move. And don't call me maid. I'm going out." Takira said, getting up and tossing the rag she had been holding into Kankuro's face. She grabbed her desert robes and slipped them on.

The Uchiha didn't move when she went to the door, expecting her to move sideways. Sure she was small enough, but she wouldn't do it. "Move, Uchiha." She hissed.

The man's eyes widened. "How…"

She cut him off. "You have your clan symbol on your back, now move."

"I'd do it, mate. It's not fun when she goes through ya." Taro had come to see his long time friend.

Uchiha raised an eyebrow at this. Takira readied herself. She was not known for patience unless she was on a mission and having an Uchiha there made it all the worse. She held her breath and quickly walked through the doorway… and the Uchiha.

She remembered what Taro had told her when she did it to him. Apparently it was like a cold blast going through the body when she stepped through the person, no matter if it was completely, through the leg, or in this case, the shoulder. When she left there was a feeling of something leaving with her… like she stole a vital organ. She didn't wait for the other's gasp. She was halfway down the block with Taro before anyone thought to speak.



"Well, that was… interesting." Temari said. Though only Takira's shoulder had passed through Sauske's it was obvious that she had moved through him, not around.

"Temari, tell Takira when she gets back that I want to speak with her. Until then, Shikamaru, I wish to speak with you."

Shikamaru followed him upstairs to his office, which was in the shape of an circle. A desk graced the center of the room. Shikamaru sat in the chair like he was at home, bending back slightly. Gaara, now used to his manner, found that he wasn't annoyed at all. Of course, that could have been because he was still angered by Takira's display.

"Why was Sauske sent? Last time I heard, he was no longer an active shinobi." Asked Gaara, getting right to the point.

"We're a little short-handed and Sauske volunteered." Shikamaru shrugged. "A bunch of troublesome Sound Ninja are basically at our front door. They should be gone by now. Naruto trusts him and with you and me watching him, he figures that nothing will go wrong."

"Hn. Naruto assumes much."

"Yeah but," Shikarmaur's eyes slid left and right, "I think he wants to get Sauske away from the village. Whenever certain reports are filed, a group get sent out of the room and Sauske is always in that group."

"Do you know what the reports are about?"

"No. No one does, not even his own wife, man." Shikamaru said.

Gaara laced his fingers together and leaned forward in his chair. "Fine. I'll find out more about this next week. Until then, follow Sauske around, don't let him out of your sight."

Shikamaru gave him a curt nod. "I won't." He grinned. "Though I'm not sure that your sister's going to be thrilled with me following around another guy. Troublesome woman."

**A/N: Ohh... this chapter actually sets up a whole bunch of other chapters. Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:…**

**Disclaimer: No!! I wasn't ready to wake up yet.**

"Uh… Takira? Are you okay?" Taro asked tentatively.

Takira stared at her friend. They had been friends since their childhood back in the Mist Village. Of course, they hadn't exchanged a word for the past five years, but they always were happy when they were together, even though both knew it wouldn't last.

His white hair fell over his eyebrows, curling where it ended. His angled face was slightly feminine looking, but handsome nonetheless. His icy gray-blue eyes sparkled out from under the uneven locks. He smiled often and there was one line on each of his eyes marking his cheerful disposition. His knees were often scuffed from falling down, but in usually he ended up laughing at himself. Takira would have found him attractive if she were into that sort of thing and he wasn't such a dork.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's get something to drink." She said, walking into a café.

They each ordered something and took off their outside robes. They took a table in the back, near the window. Takira noticed that they were getting looks from all around the café. She narrowed her eyes and gave them all her best 'what are you looking at?' glare. Soon, however, the stares returned. Takira mentally checked herself in case she had toilet paper on her shoe or something.

_Baka, they are staring at you and him. _Takira thought suddenly. It made sense; they were complete opposites. Her long hair was pin straight and black, ending at her waist with two strips in front that were four inches shorter than the rest. His short white hair curled around his face.

Her tan skin was set off nicely by her loose purple-black tank top. If she bent forward, the top would hand four inches away from her midriff, exposing the purple crescent that was there, if not for the skirt she wore. The skirt was made of the same material and was the same color as the shirt. It covered her left side completely, but a strip that normally would have shown off her entire right leg revealed the black pants that she wore underneath. It ended in a ragged fringe, some of the tears going halfway to her knee. She was lucky that she had the skirt to cover her other tattoo, the one not even Taro knew about.

Taro's pale complexion was made even paler by the dark blue shirt he wore. It was surprisingly long-sleeved and did nothing to compliment the muscles Takira knew her friend didn't have. Loose black pants hung off his scrawny frame. His ninja forehead protector, was strapped to his forehead, his curls parting just enough so that all could see the hourglass insignia of the Sand Village.

So there they were, the dark strange girl, and the cheerful, pale boy that was obviously not a direct descendant of any Suna citizen. Sitting in a café, alone, together when they looked as if they came from different sides of the planet instead of the same village.

When they were done in the café, Takira spotted a pool hall. She nudged her friend. "Up for a game?"

Taro looked nervously at the hall. "I don't…"

"Come on, don't be such a scardey cat." She said, pulling him into the pool hall.

They had barely finished a game when Takira felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a ninja glaring at her. Heart leaping, but staying outwardly calm, she checked his headband. Suna. Good. Breath? Drunk. Very Good. Taro moved from his spot to her side. She felt a wash of gratitude to her friend. Though it was totally preposterous that he thought he could protect her, it was sweet.

"Are ye the girl that beat Finn and them?"

Takira shrugged, her insulting manner in high gear. "Probably. The ugly drunk one and his two friends?"

The man growled at this. "Well, I'm 'is brother and I want an apology." He put a heavy hand on her shoulder, his fingers straying too close to her shirt's strap.

Takira shrugged and moved away, poised to hit another ball. "I'll help you find your parents later."

It took the man a moment to figure out what she just said. When he did, his face turned purple with rage. "How dare you!" His eyes slid over to Taro. "Yer the one that started it, right?"

Taro felt slightly braver than if he were alone. "Techincally, your brother started it. Now leave us alone."

"I'll show you!" a kitchen knife swished through the air.



Gaara sighed unhappily. He had wanted to talk to Takira before _midnight. _Temari and Shikamaru had gone out to a newly built club, and Kankuro was sleeping. Crow was watching Sauske, who hadn't left the room for most of the day.

When the three men were hungry, they found that Takira did follow her instructions and had left them food to warm up, so technically she had done all she was required and Gaara couldn' exactly bust her for anything. Still, letting her go out for hours by herself didn't sit right with him.

He poured some sand in front of the front door and wrote a quick note, telling her he wanted to see her. He would know when she came home and she would come to him.



_Drip._

_Drip._

"I might've gone a _little_over-board"

Takira closed the door quietly behind her. There was a slight crunch as her feet touched the ground. She looked down and growled slightly. "I just cleaned this floor a few hours ago!"Eight fingers plunged easily into eight crescent moon shapes in her palms. Had the cuts not already been there, she would have felt a lot more of the pain. By now, she was almost numb to it.

She threw her robes on the couch and lay down. She was tired, but had to bandage her hands…

Sand swirled around her. Her heart beat faster until she recognized the charka signature and the type of transportation jutsu. She was in the Kazekage's office, facing a very annoyed looking Kazekage.



"I wish to speak with you."

"You are."

Gaara frowned. It wasn't her reply, which was also annoying, but what just entered his gourd. "You're bleeding."

"I'm aware."

Gaara was getting annoyed. Whenever he spoke to her, it seemed as if their conversations went nowhere and he had accomplished nothing. "Where?"

Takira raised her right hand. There were serrated as well as four crescent cuts through her palm. Gaara noiselessly got up and went to a shelf. He picked up a roll of bandages and threw them to her.

"Thanks." She muttered, unrolling some.

"How did that happen?" Gaaea asked, sitting down.

"Fight." She muttered again, attempting to tie a knot with one hand. She failed miserably.

Gaara reached across the desk before he knew what he was doing and pulled her hand loser to him. He tied the knot and glared at the blood already appearing on the thick gauge. He felt a slight tug.

"Can I have my hand back?"

Gaara realized, even though the slightly immature side of him was internally blushing, he had some leverage here. He moved his hand from hers to her wrist and tightened his hold a bit. "Not until you tell me what happened."

Takira sighed. "Some idiot in the bar was trying to stab Taro, the white haired Jounin, so I caught the blade." She shrugged. "I kicked him and then we left."

Gaara didn't buy it. "And you've been walking around, bleeding since then?"

Takira grinned a little. "Well, we might've been challenged to a few more fights." She stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'm am almost out of charka and I don't feel like fighting you right now."

Gaara tightened his hold. "You said you were a shinobi and never answered where you come from."

Takira shrugged. "I travel. I have no home."

"What level are you?"

"I don't know."

Gaara wanted to ask about how well she fought, but after her demonstration the day before, he was pretty sure he got a good idea of it. "You will show me your fighting skills tomorrow and I will tell you."

"Fine, now let go of me." Takira glared at him.

Gaara drpped her hand and watched her leave. When the door closed behind her, he sighed, massaging the area between his eyes, on the bridge of his nose. He stayed like that for a few minutes before checking on Kankuro and Sauske, nodding to the unseen Crow, cursing Shikamaru and swearing to have a talk with the man the next day about his 'brotherly duties', and almost getting caught when he checked on Takira. When he was sure everyone was in his or her proper place… or at least semi-safe, he went to the roof.

**A/N: you all know the drill. Read and Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: asdlfkjasdl;fjowirqhreflnxc,vhnksat. Randomness. That's what happens when you're bored… or on crack….**

**Disclaimer: click my heels together three times and say 'I own Naruto'. Whoops! Wrong show…**

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah." Kankuro said. "I'll make sure not to hurt you."

Takira said nothing. She had a focused glint in her eye that Gaara had never seen before. Her muscles were tensed and the skirt she normally wore was off. Ninjas normally had had kunai packages strapped their thighs, but Takari had two small kunai packages in her pockets.

"I'll let you make the first move." She said, watching him warily.

Kankuro nodded. He unstrapped Crow and preformed quick hand seals, whispering the jutsu name. Crow tackled Takira and before she could make a hand sign, she was trapped in his stomach. Gaara, who was watching from the rooftop like a spectator at a football game with Temari, Shikamaru, and Sauske, smirked. No one had been able to get out of his stomach trap yet, not even that huge bomb he swallowed last year to avoid an assassination on the Kazekage's life.

Kankuro chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll let you out." He chuckled and picked Crow up…

"Aren't you a little old to be playing with dolls?" Takira's cold voice could be heard. She was behind him!

Kankuro fell over her leg, which was stuck out in front of him from the blunt end of a kunai. He was too big to fall completely fall into the puppet, so he wiggled around like a bug on his back. Takira put the kunai to his neck.

"Dead." She said clearly.

"Temari." Gaara muttered to his sister.

Temari nodded and jumped down confidently. She stayed tense, after watching her brother be picked off so quickly. She sent a fierce blast of wind at Takira, who had to move quickly to avoid it. Takira glanced at the sky and her eyes narrowed.

"It will be noon soon."

Temari looked up as well. "Yeah, so?" She stared at the other woman.

Takira snapped back to attention. "You shouldn't let your guard down. I gave you a perfect opportunity to attack."

She took a stance. Gaara was reminded of the stance Shikamaru used when using his shadow technique. He glanced at Shikamaru. He was tense and watching, more interested now than he had been in the Chunin exams. The backyard seemed to quiver and before anyone knew it, Temari had a shadow at each of her legs, arms, neck, and abdomen.

Gaara frowned. He followed the shadow's path with his eyes. The one restraining her right arm was from a dry desert bush. A different cactus's held each of her legs. Crow's was the one on her left arm. Takira was using her own body as the shadow on Temari's abdomen. The one at her neck…

"She's using Temari's own shadow to hold her neck. Amazing." Muttered Shikamaru.

"You could be dead four different ways right now." Takira said, almost disinterested. The shadows retracted with a wave of her hand. She jogged over to where she had draped her skirt across a tanning chair that Temari had bought a few years ago. She tied it around her waist and went over to Temari, sticking out a hand. "You did well. I haven't actually gotten hit in awhile. Next time I have a feeling we'll be more evenly matched."

"Um… yeah." Temari said, shaking the hand.

"Hey Takira!" Taro was waving from the sanded (haha) fence. "Come on! I need your help!"

Takira nodded. "Here I come. Of course, unless the _Kazekage_ wants me to do anything else?" She looked slyly at Gaara.

Gaara gave a slight flick of the hand, meaning 'I don't give a fuck what you do', while Shikamaru slid down the roof and ran to Teamri, apparently in adamant discussion about the fight. Takira and Taro headed off. Sauske, though he didn't know Gaara was watching him, followed them with his eyes until he couldn't see them, then started off in their direction. After he was a few buildings away, Gaara spoke.

"Kankuro."

His brother took the hint, nodded and started to track the Uchiha on the ground, using to his advantage every shadow on the way, though he needn't have. Sauske had declined in his ninja abilities since his depression, and though he was still a great Jounin, Kankuro was a specialist.



Takira followed Taro to what she assumed was his home. She frowned. It looked like the house had thrown up on the front lawn. All his furniture was sitting in messy rows.

"What's going on?" She asked, confused.

"Suna's rainy season's coming. Help me move this stuff to the safe cave that I'm renting." Taro said, picking up a cardboard bow.

Takira took another box and piled it on his, then took two boxes herself. There were three gates, north, east, and west. The Southern border was made up of the cliffs that the city had slowly adapted to. Houses (though hardly any stores) were built out there for those who preferred the quieter simpler life. Takira had heard in her travels that caves of stone had been found years before and were rather large, ringing the city at the crest and base of the precipices. Taro's house was on the southern limits of the city, therefore rather close to the caves. As they walked, Takira noticed that a few others were heading the same way they were, burdened similarly.

"So why are we moving your stuff to the caves?" she said, shifting the weight in her arms. She had to admit, her upper body strength wasn't that good when she was not on an adrenaline or chakra high.

Taro grunted. "Every year we have one or two awful storms that last for days. All of our houses are made of sand, so it basically melts. Well, those of us with sand homes found out a year after we found the caves that the cliffs from the rain protected them. Everyone except the Kazekage's family and a few of the higher nobles have to move out to the caves for protection. The smaller caves are used to hide our stuff in, if you can afford it, which I can" he smirked confidently.

"So you want me to help you bring all your stuff to a cave?" Takira used the tone she knew made Taro nervous.

"Um… well…. Please?" he asked weakly.

Takira grinned. "You're lucky I have nothing better to do and you're _really_ lucky that if I wasn't hanging out with you I would be hanging our with Mr. Serious."

Taro grinned back. "You are probably the only person who has insulted the Kazkage and lived."

"Not without good reason, I'm sure." Takira said, smiling. "I don't think he was happy when I came home last night. Good thing he didn't see my leg." She shifted the weight of the boxes again to show him the bandage on her hand.

"Eh… sorry about that."

"It's fine. I should've seen it coming." Takira said. She smiled slyly. "So, you got a girlfriend yet?"

Taro blushed. "I… uh… no."

Takira smiled (her version of a giggle) and quickly moved her arm out from under the boxes. She plucked a fuzzy thing from the box she was holding and chucked it at his head before quickly moving her hand back under the toppling boxes. The fluffy thing, which happened to be slippers, hit his forehead and landed in his box, which he unfortunately dropped as he fell.

Takira rolled her eyes as she gathered the strewn items. "Seriously, Taro, you are more awkward than a teenage girl." She handed him his box.

"Oof. Well… I can't think of a good comeback." Taro admitted. He pointed to a black hole in the brown craggy cliff. "That's where we're headed."



Takira set down the last item, a blue chair that she had been carrying with her charka. "Phew." She sat down heavily. "I guess I haven't recovered yet from using my shadows at noon."

"Oh yeah." Taro dropped the ottoman he had been carrying. "You used your charka at noon so you had to use more. You still can't recover charka as fast as the rest of us-"

Takira had him by the shirtfront. "Don't say it out loud." She hissed.

Taro looked around and backed up. "Takira, no one's here, besides you're still the strongest kunochi I know. Probably the best ninja too, if not maybe for the Kazekage. And you have more charka than three of-"

Takira covered his mouth with her hand. "You really don't enjoy talking, do you?"

Taro shrugged away. "Fine. I won't say anything about your charka."

Unfortunately for the pair, mostly Takira, the worst person Takira could imagine had heard Taro. Unfortunately for the person who heard Taro, he had been seen. Unfortunately for the seer and Takira, the one who would eventually hear about all of this would not be happy when he heard about it.

**A/N: again, sorry for the wait. Review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey.**

**Disclaimer: I will trade you a cookie for Naruto…. Okay five cookies. All bow to the almighty cookie!**

"Gaara, please calm down…" Temari whispered nervously.

"I am calm."

"Uh… dude? You got that I'm-gonna-kill-somebody look." Kankuro said.

"Have you found out anything about the girl?"

"No, we don't even have a last name." Temari said. "I asked Shikamaru about her, since she used the same jutsu as him, but he says his mother and father were both only children and none of his ancestors ever lived out of the Leaf Village."

There was a loud banging. "Hey! Y'all better get your buts down here before I take your food to a soup kitchen!"

Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro exchanged glances; from what they had seen of her so far, they knew Takira wasn't kidding. They went down to the kitchen to see an annoyed-looking Naara and an empty seat where the Uchiha should have been. They each took a seat while Takira leaned up against the counter.

A few minutes into the meal, Takira stared at the clock. "Three… two… one. That's it. Food for the soup kitchen." She swept up Sauke's plate and with a _poof_, was gone.

She was back a second later, leaning against the counter. Temari frowned. "Aren't you going to eat, Takira?"

Takira shook her head slightly, which still sent her black hair in all directions, mainly her face. "I already ate."

"Oh."

The meal of surprisingly unsandy rice and some sort of meat was held in a not at all awkward silence until a few minutes later. Sauske walked into the kitchen with his I'm-too-cool-to-notice-anything attitude and sat down. When a plate did not magically appear before him, he looked at Takira expectantly.

She shrugged. "You should have gotten down here when I yelled."

Sauske's eyes narrowed. "Which means…."

"Your food is being digested by a little boy named Aren." Takira said calmly. She shrugged and went to the back doors. "Normally I'd say I'm going out but since _someone _doesn't want me to get hurt, I'll be somewhere on the premises. Call if you need me. But if you call for anything less than someone dying, you will find something unpleasant in your food tomorrow morning." She went outside.

Gaara growled slightly in his throat and glowered at the white door. When he turned back to his food he found everyone, except Sauske who was also glaring at the door, staring at him.

He stood. "Going to work. No disturbances." He muttered, leaving the room.

Gaara signed a few papers, but found he couldn't concentrate on much more. A first he blamed his inattentiveness the continuous bickering of his loud sibling, who's yelling no wall could drown out. However, long after they had gone to sleep, he could not string seven words together into a sentence. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, annoyed.

_Thud. _The gentle sound caused Gaara's black-rimmed eye to snap open. _Thud. _It was right above him now. Gaara looked up but saw only sandy ceiling. _Thud. _Gaara's sand swirled around him and he was on the roof a moment later.

He immediately saw the disturbance. Takira was walking on the roof, spinning a long pole that Gaara recognized as the faux fighting poles that senseis used with some on the genins. As Kazekage, he had a few in his yard. Takira was twirling it like a baton.

"Kazekage-sama." Takira acknowledged him with a slight incline of her head.

"What-" Gaara's question was cut off by Takira's hiss of pain.

"Gaara, hide yourself. I want this fight." She said lowly before turning around. Gaara did as she asked and moved behind one of the sand spires on the roof. "Uchiha. I must say, out of all of them, it took you the longest to attack." Takira's smoth voice filtered out confidently.

"What do you mean?" Gaara could see Sauske now, as well as the kunai imbedded in the sand of his home.

"Uchihas are famous for their pride and impulsive way of thinking, however patient they may seem to others." Takira said, still calm.

He threw another kunai. "What is between you and my clan?" Sauske asked viciously.

Takira moved the pole and the kunai bounced away. She smiled. "A history of blood, dirty fighting, attempted assassinations, and hunting. And that's just what they did." She seemed thoughtful for a moment. "You know, when I first saw you, I almost thought you were _him_."

Sauske gave her a look of pure hate. "I am nothing like my brother."

"That's where you're wrong, Uchiha." Takira said coldly. "I know who you are and what you've done. You betrayed your friends, your village for _capability_. You hurt and tortured them for _power. _What you did to them is no better than what he did to you."

Sauske shook. "You… you're right… and… I know…." He fell to his knees.

"Get up, Uchiha. The difference between you and him is that you came back. You're doing good. You're the better person, just not the victim."

Sauske got up and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "You're right, as usual."

Takira nodded. "Yes, I am." She crossed her arms. "But I have to say this. Next time you decide you are going to kill him, remember us who have claims on his life as well. Now," she got into a battle-ready position, "come get what you came here for."

Sauske smirked. "I already got it, but if beating you to a pulp is a bonus, then I'll take it."

He lunged and Takira moved aside, hitting him hard on the back, but it exploded in a pile of leaves. He appeared behind her and tried to grab her, but she ducked and flipped away.

"You're fast, but not fast enough."

Sauske gave a half yell and produced a shuriken and a kunai. He threw them at her, but she moved the pole in a strange motion and the shuriken clattered to the ground. The kunai sctaped her leg. She raised her eyebrows and the cut.

"Oh, so you want to fight dangerously?"

"If you think you can."

_Bad thing to say, Uchiha. _Gaara thought. Takira disappeared. Gaara scanned the roof for her, but to no avail. Soon enough however, Sauske froze and he could hear her voice in the night.

"I think I can handle it."

Sauske dropped to the ground, panting, and Gaara could see that though he wasn't very bulky, he was big enough for Takira to hide behind. She smiled and turned on her heel, going to the edge of the roof. Gaara noticed an increase in charka pressure and saw a blue light from Sauske's palm. _Chidori…_

"Sauske."

Gaara turned towards the disturbance. Shikamaru stood on the roof, his shadow lengthening in the moonlight until it touched Sauske. The blue light faded and died. Gaara decided then was the time to let his presence be known.

"Uchiha." Shikamaru allowed Sauske to move his head. "If you ever attack a gust in my household I shall see you punished." Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand.

**A/N: Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: yay! Some people like my character!**

**I would like to thank Jack Sparrow and Wendy (both who I do not own) who gave me the idea for the awful monstrosity. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Hey, get your butts down here!" This time, everyone arrived within five minutes of Takira's call. She pointed at Kankuro as he shoveled eggs into his mouth."You need to go shopping. _Somebody's_ been raiding the fridge at night." She glared into his painted face. "And before you think of it, I don't do muffins, cakes or cookies." She left the room and a moment later they heard the clatter and hum of the junky vacuum that the Sand siblings had.

Kankuro seemed to deflate from a minute, and then perked up as he smiled lecherously. "Hey, Gaara? Mind if I get a little something for our 'maid'?"

Gaara stared blankly at him. "Do as you wish." He said, but on the inside he was grinning as well. Whatever his brother was planning, it was sure to be amusing.



"Kankuro, I'm going to…"

"Put on the dress." Gaara said, cutting off her sentence.

Takira glared at him. "I am soooo not wearing that."

"You will if you wish to continue living here free of charge."

"What if I don't-"

"You'll be on the streets, penniless. I have ordered no one to give you a job and all hotels are booked." Gaara said, almost pleasantly. He was enjoying cutting off her sentences and annoying her.

"What if I went to live with Taro?" Takira motioned to the white-haired Jounin, who had come home with her.

"Yeah, you could do that… wait, Takira, I don't make enough money for you to mooch off of me… and I only have one bed… and my couch is in the caves…."

Takira made an almost growl in her throat. "Taro, get out of here."

"Right." The man was gone before anyone could blink.

Takira turned back to the three grinning men before her. "You guys are insufferable. Temari!" She called.

"Yeah." Temari came marching down the stairs, Shikamaru trailing after her.

"Look at the monstrosity your brothers are making me wear." Takira pointed dramatically. Gaara raised an eyebrow; this girl wasn't one to carry on, which only made this joke better.

Kankuro held up the hanger. It was a maid's dress, complete with apron and frills. Of course, it was a little on the short side, ending about an inch above the knee, but Gara refused to allow Kankuro to bring anything any less respectable into his house. The only difference between the one Kankuro held and the one that people saw in the movies, was that this was inescapably pink. From the pastel of the lace and apron to the hot pink of the camisole and dress, the pink was an eyesore to both kunochi.

Temari giggled. "Well, I have to say, Takira, it's not your color."

"Yeah, you're lucky that Gaara stopped me or I would've picked the shot one." Kankuro said, still grinning like an idiot.

"There was something shorter than that!" Takira exploded.

"Of course."

Takira looked from Temari and Shikamaru's poorly hidden smiles, to Kankuro's grin, to Sauske's smirk (this she actually scowled at), to Gaara's blank expression. Sighing, she swiped the dress off the hanger. She suddenly smiled.

"Of course I'll wear it." She said sweetly. She left the room.

Kankuro frowned. "That was not a good smile."



"Let us in!"

"I will burn down the door!"

"Please, Takira!"

"Bitch!"

Temari turned from the squirming of her brother and the Uchiha to her brother. "What's going on?"

Gaara smirked. "I suppose this is Takira's revenge for the dress."

Temari and Shikamaru, who had gone out to eat that night, laughed. Gaara had very wisely chosen not to eat, noticing that even though Sauske was a full minute late for dinner, she had allowed him to eat. Kankuro and Sauske were presently yelling and pounding on the bathroom door.

"What's that? Oh sorry, I was just fixing up my spiffy new outfit." Takira's sarcastic voice filtered out of the crack underneath the door.

A few seconds later the door opened. Takira, wearing her normal black pants and purple skirt, stood in the doorway watching the two grown men squirm as if they had drunk sour milk (which they probably had, who knows what she put into their dinner). Smirking, she moved aside and watched as the men fought each other for control of the only bathroom besides the Kazekage's personal one. Sauske won and Kankuro looked at Takira with hateful eyes.

"You're evil incarnate."

"Look who's catching on." Takira smirked, causing Temari and Shikamaru to laugh harder.

"Gaara, you know my favorite baby brother, right?"

"Last time I checked, I was your only baby brother." Gaara said, thoroughly enjoying Takira's inappropriate joke.

"Please, Gaara, let me use your bathroom."

Takira smiled at Gaara. "I'd let him do it, god knows what that'll do to your carpet. Besides, this is part one of my revenge."

Kankuro whined a little. Gaara nodded at him. As they watched him run, or waddle, down the hallway, Temari came up with a question.

"Hey Takira, it was only Gaara and Kankuro who made you wear the dress, why'd you do it to Sauske too?"

Takira held up two fingers and ticked the reasons off as she said them. "One, I knew Gaara wouldn't take the bad food when he gave me his I-know-you're-planning-something death glare and it seemed like a waste of a good prank." Sauske by now was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, glaring at her. "And two, I hate him." She smiled cutely at Sauske and turned on her hell, walking down the steps and waving on the way. "See ya, you know where I'll be."

Gaara smirked as she left. "I wonder what the rest of her revenge entails."

There was a strange rumbling sound and the bathroom door slammed in their faces. Temari looked at her brother strangely.

"Shikamaru, excuse us." She then pulled her little brother into her room.

The purple themed walls were hard to believe, especially since this was this was Suna's most lethal kunochi that lived there. The room was way to feminine for Gaara. Fans and posters adorned the walls and papier-mâché lights were in the corners, casting a soft green glow in the pastel themed room.

"All right, Gaara, what's up?"

"What?"

"You smiled twice in one night and now your wondering about some random girl's plan?" Temari asked, incredulous. "You don't think something's wrong with you?"

Gaara gave Temari a lazy stare. "Temari, I don't need to explain myself to you, but if you must know, I find that the girl's revenge rather comical and it might amuse me as long as it does not go too far. I also like her ability to tell when I'm going to kill her for poisoning me."

Temari seemed to shrink a little. "Oh."

"I'm going to my office. Do not disturb me."



"Ow!"

"Dead." Takira said, bored, putting a kunai to Kankuro's neck. She turned to Gaara, who still was watching from the roof. "We done yet?"

"If no one else wishes to fight y-"

"I'll fight her." Sauske said suddenly, jumping down from the roof and giving a daring smirk at both Takira and Gaara, who for once shared a feeling of extreme resentment towards the Uchiha.

"Kazekage-sama, there is a report that you must view at once." Said Baki, appearing out of nowhere.

Gaara blinked to show he knew he was there. "Uchiha, Takira, the fighting is done." He curled his lip. "Besides, Takira needs to start her first day as an official maid."

Takira gave him a sugar- sweet smile. "I'm sure that you and Kankuro will enjoy the show, _Lord Kazekage._"

When they had all gone inside, Gaara muttered, "No doubt." And disappeared in a burst of sand.

**A/N: Hm…. Not much to say except that is midnight, I will not get to sleep until four, and you all will bow down to the power of the evil hamster! Mwhahahaha. O, you're still here? Well then… um… review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Yep, I'm still awake.**

**Important: I have nothing against gays or lesbians. It is their life and they can choose to do as they wish. This chapter's referring to gays is purely for your entertainment. **

**Disclaimer: It is too damn late (or early) for this shit!**

"Oi! Woman, you're supposed to be wearing that dress!"

"Oi! Man!" Takira said, imitating him. "I _am_ wearing that dress, only with a few minor alterations."

_Minor Alteration _was an understatement. Takira had cut the dress in half, and sewed up the middle of the dress so that it looked like pants. The shirt part was a little short, showing off her abdomen, which was covered in bandages. No, it wasn't bandages, it was the _apron. _All of this was died black.

Temari giggled. "You go girl!"

"Okay." Takira shrugged. She slipped on her desert robes. "I'm meeting Taro at that café down the corner. Temari, you and Shikamaru can join us if you want. Or don't. I could give a shit, but Taro told me to ask you."

"Okay." Temari's head bobbed up and down. "Shikamaru! We're going out!"

"Again, woman? You're so troublesome." Shikamaru said, coming halfway down the stairs.

"TROUBLESOME! GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!" Temair turned back to Takira. "We'll be right there." She said calmly. "NAARA!" She began stomping up the stairs.

"Whoa. Mood swing." Takira said, watching after Temair wide-eyed.

"Tell me about it." Kankuro said.

Takira shook her head, her pin straight hair flying around her face. "I feel bad for the poor bastard that gets her pregnant."

"No kidding."

"What's going on?" Gaara appeared in a swirl of sand behind them.

Takira turned to face him. "Your sister is going to kill your friend."

Sauske came down the steps with his hand in his pocket. "Those two idiots are giving me a headache."

"I'm outta here." Takira said.

In a flash, Sauske was in front of her. "Where are you going?"

"That's none of your business, now move."

Sauske smirked and planted his feet on the floor. "What if I don't want to?"

"Fine by me." Once again, everyone stared in shock as Takira passed through Sauske, but this time, her entire body went through his. "See you, I'm going out."

After Sauske had gotten over the tremor of cold that had hit his body like a stonewall, he grabbed her wrist. "Would you mind if I join you?" He said, more of a statement and command rather than an actual question.

Takira scowled for a minute, but then smiled brightly. "Sure, Kankuro, you can come too. And what about you Gaara?"

"If we're all going out, he's coming!" Temari shouted, dragging her boyfriend down the steps.

Gaara sighed. "It seems I am coming."

Takira nodded. "Don't worry, you'll be glad you came."



A bit later, Gaara was indeed glad he came. Takira's dark nature seemed familiar around the café and no one bothered him except a group of giggling girls. What really made him happy, yes happy, he came was the joke Takira played on his brother and the Uchiha.

At first, it seemed nothing was wrong. The first girl Kankuro hit on, laughed, nothing strange in that. The second said she liked bigger men. That confused Kankuro. Finally, they all sat down at a circular high table. Takira sat to Gaara's right, with Taro next to her. Temari and a grumbling Shikamaru sat to his left. Kankuro and Sauske were seated next to each other across from him and their backs facing the entrance to the coffee shop.

They ordered, and when the waiter brought them their coffees, he set the tray down and stuck out a hand to the Uchiha.

"Hello, Sausgay, my name is Sado."

Sauske blinked. "What…?"

Gaara and Taro looked at Takira at the same time. She noticed their stares, and a small smile graced her lips. She put a finger to her lips and pointed to the mirror on the other side of café. They looked at it and immediately Taro started laughing. Gaara smirked. Taro got Temari's attention while the waitor distracted Sauske and Kankuro. He pointed to the mirror before going outside, muttering about needing some air. As soon as he got outside, he fell over laughing.

A few other waiters and some men, who looked truly interested, came over and introduced themselves (some remarked about Sauske's bravery, but he gave them all a what-the-hell look), all referring to the name 'sausgay'. A group of girls passed by and pointed at Kankuro giggling. A five year old came up and handed Kankuro a Barbie.

Takira coughed, covering up some laughter. "um… well, guys, you can take care of the bill." She grabbed both Temari and Gaara's arms and they allowed themselves to be whisked out of the shop and into the street.

When they had left, Shikamaru put some money on the table and poked Sauske. "Dudes? You might seriously want to consider looking at your shirts before meeting us at the pool hall." With that he left, slightly smiling to himself.

The men exchanged a look and jumped up, running over to the mirror. Saukske's face paled with anger at the red stitching in place of the Uchiha clan's fan.

**Hello, my name is Sausgay.**

Kankuro's face nicely complimented the purple makeup on his face at the bright pink stitching;

**Hello, my name is Kankuro and I play with dolls because I can't get a date.**

**I can't get a date because I have a tiny…**

**A/N: well, you get the picture. Everyone thank my hamster overlord for two chapters in one day. Actually, thank the crack head who invented insomnia.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm still trying to figure out how to do that prank on my brother.**

**Disclaimer: for the nineteenth time, I do not own Naruto.**

"AAAHHHH!!"

Takira winced at the loud sound, then she grinned. "I think the guys have found my present."

Taro was still on the ground laughing, drawing strange looks to the group. "Yeah haha… haha… they're gonna… haha… kill you."

Takira helped Taro t his feet. "That I sincerely doubt." She turned to Gaara, "Are you coming with us to the pool hall?"

Gaara inclined his head a fraction of an inch. "Yes."



Takira laughed along with the rest. Gaara had found out the hard way that he was awful with aiming, being a sand user; he really needed all the hand-eye coordination it took to move his arms and legs. She accepted the money for him whispered in his ear to make him feel better.

"I think Sauske is getting some looks from across the bar." She pointed to two men.

Gaara smirked and nudged Sauske, nodding towards the men, who wiggled their fingers at him. He blushed.

"Damn it, Takira! When are you going to take this Genjutsu off my back?" he yelled.

Takira appeared to think. "Hmmm… how about when you convince Gaara to let me off wearing that 'dress' that I remade."

Sauske turned to Gaara. The redhead smirked slightly. "No."

"Damn it!"

"All right everyone, who wants a drink?" Temari said, bringing up a tray.

"Not me." Takira and Gaara stared at each other; they had said it at the same time.

Takira cleared her throat. "Someone's gotta protect you morons from hurting yourselves when we walk home."

"I am the Kazekage; it would be undignified."

Temari stared at them, ignoring Shikamaru's arm around her waist. "We're not asking you guys to get trashed. Just have a drink."

"No."

Takira stared at Gaara. "Dude, this is weird." She said.

Two hours later, everyone except Gaara and Takira was drunk and singing a ridiculous song. Takira noticed the I'm-going-to-murder-someone look in Gaara's eye and tapped him. She stood.

"All right you bakas, shut up!"

"Who va yew calling brakas?" Taro slurred, nearly falling over in his seat.

Takira rolled her eyes. "I'll take this one home, you deal with your guests and siblings. And may I suggest that you lock Shikamaru in his room?" She smiled suggestively as a slight blush crept to Gaara's cheek. Deciding to annoy him more she said, "Oh! Gaara! Is that sunburn?"

"Woman," he growled.

"Man." She said, slinging Taro's arm over her shoulder and walking out of the bar.

Gaara shook his head and looked at the problem. He had four very drunk people to bring home with only two arms. _First, get them out of the bar. _He knew exactly who his first and last choices were. He looked over at Shikamaru, who was sleeping as Temari prattled on and on about useless things. He grabbed the man's arm and half-dragged half-carried him out into the road. He repeated this with Sauske and Kankuro, and finally Temari. Placing a hand on Temari and Kankuro's shoulders and a foot on some loose clothes of the other two, he transported them back to his home.

Finding himself alone in the road, he decided to walk home. _Finally some peace and quiet from the insanity of home. Shikamaru better keep his hands off my sister. _He thought suddenly. He shook his head in an attempt to stay calm. _Clear the mind… you can always kill him later._

"Get off of me!" He heard a man's yell.



"Taro, I swear next time you drink this much, I'm letting you sleep at the bar." Takira said loudly as her friend stumbled out from behind a couple of trashcans.

Takira felt eyes of hr suddenly. _Not good. _"Taro, grab onto me."

"Whoa… I don't feel that way…" he hiccupped.

"Just do it!" she hissed.

The moment Taro had gotten hold of her hand; she put charka into her feet and sprinted off. She ran all the way to Taro's house, which wasn't that far. She wrenched open the door and all but threw him inside. She slammed the door shut and bit her finger. She slid her bleeding thumb down the door and in a circle. No one would enter without Taro's permission.

She went to the main road and started down it. She walked slowly. The fight would come, whether she ran to the 'safety' of the Kazekage's home or not. Out here, at least, there was no chance of a hostage situation and she had more room to move. She subconsciously felt around the surrounding area.

_One? _She grinned. _He's only to find me. Well, he'll find me all right. _She slowed down and went to a place between four buildings, where she was the perfect target. Just as she predicted, a kunai flew at her. She moved an inch to the side quickly, so that it would look to the thrower that he had missed. A moment later, a cloaked figure stepped from the shadows.

He had short blonde curls and his cloak was left open. His eyes and smile were fixed in a maniacal grin. As his raspy insane voice sounded, his eyes seemed to bulge. "You! You will no t get away from me! I shall capture you and the Itachi-sama will reward me. I will be known as the strongest in the A-"

"Why do you guys always have to make big speeches about yourselves? At least Itachi works quietly." Takira asked, annoyed.

"Insolent- Get off of me!!!"

Takira pressed a hand to the back of his head. A moment later her hand phased through him skull. She shut down his ability to talk, that was always went first. A scream died in his throat. Her hand moved slightly to the left as the sand swirled next to her.

Gaara opened his mouth to speak, but she intercepted him. "Gaara, give me a minute." His black-rimmed eyes fell on the man and he was silent.

A few minutes later, Takira restored his ability to talk and pulled Gaara into the shadows. "Shh… wait till he leaves." She whispered.

A few seconds later, the man hopped up and started towards the gate. The two ninja followed behind, seeing him to the gate and well off into the desert. When they had passed by the gate and the many apologizing guards and had finally started back towards Gaara's home was when they talked again.

"I'm sorry." Takira said quietly. Her head as bowed and her black hair fell over her shoulders, obscuring her face.

"Why did that Akatusuki member try and capture you?"

"He wasn't Akatusuki. At least, not yet. His mission was to find me, but he wasn't allowed back until he did so. I have just sent him back without any information to me. His report will say that I've dropped off the face of the earth and Itachi will kill him for failing. What do you know of the Akatusuki?" Gaara did not answer, but continued walking. Takira's eyes narrowed. "I see. They hurt you or your family in some way, right?"

Gaara's eyes widened fractionally. "How can you tell?"

Takira shrugged and grinned good-naturedly. "That just seems to be their thing."

"Agreed." They walked in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Gaara's curiosity seemed to overcome him. "What did you do to him?"

Takira's face blanked. "I invaded his brain literally and started throwing switches. Turned off his ability to talk then went to his memory half of the brain. I erased his memory of seeing me as much as a coma or stroke would do and then I used Genjutsu to make him actually see a memory of him going through every town looking for me, meeting several people saying that they have never seen the likes of me. It works quite well."

"Why are the Akatusuki after you?"

**A/N: Ohhh… who wants to find out what happens next? Review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: yeah… kinda stuck here. **

**Disclaimer: You guys are the type of people that would feed a fish till it pops.**

"That is a topic for another time." Takira said evasively, breaking eye contact and striding the last couple of paces to the door.

She put her hand on the doorknob, but Gaara twitched a finger back towards him. She was pushed back towards him and he grabbed her wrist tightly. "Tell me."

Takira tugged her arm. Gaara could see a bit of panic in her pupil-less eyes. "Gaara, please. Let go of me." Her voice sounded slightly scared, but other than that it had an emotionless tone that many of his ANBUs would have been jealous of.

"No. Tell me why they are after you." Gaara tightened his grip on her arm.

"Gaara, that is my business. Believe me, its safer that you don't know."

Takira made eye contact one last time before she sank through the sand. Gaara ignored the iciness spreading through his fingers and the sense of loss to bring his hand up. The sand floated up from the ground, but Takira did not come. She was gone.



"Hey! Get down here now!"

Gaara's eyes snapped open. He transported directly to the kitchen where Takira was furiously stirring something. She flipped a pancake and quickly spooned them out onto plates. Shikamaru, surprisingly was the first to come down.

"Hey! Stop yelling woman! We all have hangovers!"

Takira grinned. "Gaara, cover your ears." She whispered. She raised the pot she had been cooking in and rapped on it with a metal spoon. "Don't call me woman, man! And if you hadn't gotten drunk, you wouldn't have a hangover." She smiled evilly. "Hey Gaara, mind if I wake up the rest of the nimrods?"

Gaara, still surprised she was even there after last night, nodded dumbly and followed her first to Kankuro's messy room. He allowed himself a bit of a face twitch he called a smile in anticipation to what was coming next. She leaned close to his face.

"Hey Kankuro, I've got something to tell you…" She said seductively. She waited until he had a lecherous grin on her face before banging the pot again. "WAKE THE FUCK UP AND GET YOUR LAZY ASS DOWN TO BREAKFAST!"

Kankuro tried to scream, but Takira placed a hand over his mouth. "Not yet." She said quietly. She took off down the hall with Gaara following behind her. She entered the small guest room. Sauske was sprawled on the bed, snoring loudly. She set the pot a plate down. "Sauske" she whispered in his ear gently. "I've died all of your clothes pink."

Sauske jumped up and had a kunai to Takira's throat. Gaara's sand acted without him thinking. A second later, Sauske was pinned to the opposite wall. Takira smiled lazily at Gaara.

"Awww, I didn't know you cared." She left the room, grabbing the pot and spoon.

"Neither did I." muttered Gaara, setting Sauske down.

The Uchiha smirked. "Awww, what's the matter? Don't like me threatening Takira?" He asked snidely.

"Watch it, Uchiha." Gaara muttered.

Sauske evidently thought that because all of his friends in his village were friends with Gaara, that gave him an automatic 'in'. He was mistaken. Gaara merely tolerated him for the sake of Naruto and the rest. Had it been his choice, the Uchiha would have been long dead.



"Dead." Takira panted. She grinned. "You're really improving, Temari. You hit me today and actually gave me a run for my money."

"Yeah… but I still can't… beat you…" She panted. Her dark purple kimono clung to her and seemed to weigh her down. She leaned tiredly against her fan; all three of the purple moons were showing.

Takira shrugged. "Hey, you have a hangover. Besides, fighting isn't your life, so to tell you the truth, you are probably the strongest kunochi I have ever met."

"What do yuo mean your life is fighting?" Temari asked curiously.

Takira looked away. "Nothing." she muttered.

Sauske suddenly jumped down from the roof. "How about that fight?"

Takira rolled her eyes. "You're really not going to let this go." She said, shaking her head.

Sauske gave Gaara a meaningful glance. "No." He smirked, that saying more than his actual words.

"Fine." Takira looked up at the sky. "It's almost noon." She said, almost dreamily.

_What the hell does Uchiha think he's pulling? And why is noon so important?_ Gaara thought from his position on the roof. This had become a daily thing; Takira would fight Temari and Kankuro until he stopped them. His brother and sister were improving tremendously, but Takira had yet to show everything of her power. He felt sure of it. Perhaps the Uchiha and noon together would make her.



Sauske threw some kunai, and Takira dodged. She swiped at the buried knives and picked them up, having none herself. She threw one back and it hit its mark. She didn't wait to see the poof and the log. _Clone… so where…_

Sauske appeared below her and kicked her in the abdomen, sending her flying in the air. _Not good. __**Get back to the ground! **_Sauske jumped and was in the air with her. Then he made a fatal move. He tried to wrap his arms around her. (A/N: Like in the Chunin exams.)

She turned enough to see his face and smirked. "Let's be friends first."

She enjoyed Sauske's gasp as she moved through him, backfirst, in midair. She punched him in the back. He was pushed forward and Takira flipped in the air. She landed on his back and drove him to the ground. He landed face first in the sand.

She got off him. "I win again, Uchiha."

"Wow!" Kankuro's loud voice could be heard from where he was fixing Crow yet _again_.

"Takira, that was awesome!" Temari exclaimed, running up with Kankuro and Shikamaru.

Takira shrugged. "Glad you enjoyed the show." The wind picked up and it seemed as if a shadow was cast on the group. She looked up at the sky. "When exactly does this rain season start?" She asked Gaara, who had jumped down from the roof but was not quite with the group.

The wind had picked up slightly again and the clouds have been hovering over the village the entire morning. Just then, Baki arrived. He looked almost scared. Or at least, worried.

"Kazekage-sama. There has been thunder heard out in the desert fifteen miles away."

Gaara kept his arms crossed and didn't even look as he gave orders. "Sound the alarm, evacuate the village. Get everyone into the caves and use the shinobis of Jounin rank and up to help you."

"Right." Baki disappeared and a moment later, a loud alarm was heard. There were sounds of yelling, crying and a general panic as people exited their houses.

Takira looked at Gaara. "I'll help." She said.

Shikamaru raised a hand. "So troublesome…" he muttered. "I'll help too."

"Mmmph!" Sauske pulled his face out of the ground. "Same here."

Gaara nodded, and Takira saw something cross his eyes. Gratitude, perhaps, or something more. He nodded curtly and something of a smile graced his lips. "Thank you."

**A/N: Ohh… little OOC, but oh well. Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: asdfghkl;**

**Disclaimer: You are the kind of soul-sucking sadists that would beat hippies with sticks.**

"Kazekage-sama! Please help!"

"Somebody help us!"

"Ma'am. Calm down. You're doing fine. It's not even that bad yet. Get to the caves." Takira repeated patiently.

An hour into the storm and the sand was starting to suck people in, but that was only if they were heavy and stood in one place for very long. In short, just the Kazekage's group. Takira put a hand to her head and blinked a few times. Gaara looked at her questioningly. She smiled weakly and shook her head.

"It's nothing. All this panic is giving me a headache."

"Kazekage-sama!" Another woman threw herself at Gaara.

He raised an eyebrow; she was at least twice the age of most of the girls that threw themselves at him.

"My son!" she panted. "None of your shinobi can find him!"

Takira strode over quickly. "Stay still ma'am. I'll find him."

Takira took a stance and closed her eyes. "Boushi no Senro." She whispered. When she opened her eyes, they were a cloudy teal color. (A/N: Go to chapter 2) "This way." She said loudly, before sprinting off back the way the woman came.

Gaara handed the woman over to Kankuro and followed after her. They entered the area where the storm had been first, and where lightening and thunder were at their worst. Some of the houses were staring to melt. Takira started to walk and soon stopped. A small growl escaped her throat, but before Gaara could ask what was wrong, she sprinted off again. She ran to an alleyway. They could hear a soft crying.

Takira's Boushi no Senro left her eyes and she stepped forward. Gaara didn't follow her down the alleyway; he could see her she went through and bent over. A few moments later, she was walking up the alley again. Halfway through, her head snapped up. The sand walls were trembling and about to in. A huge lump of sand fell near her. She yelled and hugged the child closer, rolling out of the way.

"Gaara!"

At her panicked voice Gaara snapped to attention. He raised both his arms and the sand around her hardened. She slid out of the alley, child in her arms. Gaara let her arms fall and the sand fall in on itself. Takira stood and looked at Gaara, awestruck. She stood and, without his consent, wrapped an arm around his neck.

"Thank you." She whispered. As she moved away, he saw a sniff but when he looked in her face again, she was smiling. Gaara's eyes narrowed. He could see the Genjutsu she was using on her face, but what was she hiding? "Shall we get this little one back to his mother?"

Gaara nodded and sand swirled around them. He transported back to where his siblings and friends were. Takira handed the child to his mother and waved them off.

"What happened to her?" Kankuro said, pointing at Takira.

She looked down at herself. "Damn it! I did laundry yesterday!"

Everyone laughed and Gaara was surprised at her brush off at her near-death experience. When she thought no one was looking, she brushed at something in her eye and water hit the ground the opposite direction that the rain was falling. She looked up and winked at Gaara. When she turned away, Gaara saw Sauske glaring at him. He glared back. _Well, what's this? _He thought, making a mental note to keep an eye on the Uchiha.



"Lord Kazekage, the entire village has been evacuated." Baki said.

Gaara gave sign of answering, Temari to it upon herself. "Than you. You'd better get to the caves yourself, right Baki."

He nodded curtly and left.

"Okay… so now what?" Takira said, leaning against the short side of Gaara's desk. He seemed to be ignoring them all, just scribbling a few things on some papers.

Temari was sitting in the chair, half asleep that was across from Gaara. Shikamru was sitting on the floor, resting against the chair. Kankuro was standing awkwardly next to his brother and Sauske was directly across from Takira, leaning coolly against the wall.

"We have to stay in the house until the rain stops in another day or so. The day the rain is gone, Gaara will do his usual sweep to restore the village and then take a rest day to recover. The day after that, the Hokage of the Leaf Village will be here with his guard."

Takira threw her head back to the ceiling. "More people? Two weeks ago I would have found one person too much company. What is my life coming to!" She moaned.

Sauske smirked. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you hate us."

Takira glared at him. "Only some of you, Uchiha."

Sauske glared. Then he went back to his too-cool-for-you look, muttering 'bitch' under his breath.

"Oh hell no. There is no way I'm gonna be able to stay in this house with the asshole and the pervert." She pointed to Kankuro and Sauske.

Gaara sighed. "Do we have to lock you in the closet?" He said, speaking for the first time since he had saved her.

"Welcome back to Earth." She muttered. "If you did, I'd get out and wreak havoc on your house." She said, smiling cheerfully, as if talking about the weather.

Gaara sighed, rubbing the bridge between his eyes. "Everyone. Out. Now. Except, you, Takira."

The group filed out of the room, Sauske last and Takira sat in the chair Temari had vacated. Now that everyone was gone, she seemed uncomfortable with Gaara in the same room. A bit of pink touched her cheeks, if she had been as pale as normal people he would have been able to see an all-out blush.

"Gaara, if this is about back in the alley… or when I hugged you… I'm sorry. It was r-"

Gaara moved his head a fraction of a centimeter to the left and right. "This is about when my friends from the Leaf Village come in a few days. The Hokage, Naruto Uzamaki and probably a guard of elite ninjas will be staying here and you are expected to be on your best behavior."

Takira seemed to go back to her normal self. She smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. "Sorry, but I don't have an on/off switch. This is me all of the time. Get used to it."

"Woman..."

"Awww… I thought we were past two syllable threats." Takira said smiling.

"Do not insult or hurt my friends." He winced on the word but his voice held a silent threat.

Takira grinned. "Ï'll treat them as well as I do you."

Gaara sighed, knowing he would get no better out of her. "Good."

"I'm guessing I'll have to go move in with Taro. I'll kick him out of his bed." She said, even though they both knew she wouldn't kick someone out of their own bed for herself.

"No. We have a rather large guest room that they will be staying in."

"What!" Takira exclaimed. "So why have I been on the couch?"

Gaara smirked. "It didn't cross my mind."

"Öhhh… if I didn't know you weren't a baka I'd poison your food."

"Then I am thankful again that I have been blessed with my sister's brain and my brother's… well I'm glad that I have nothing of his." Gaara said monotonusly, going back to signing papers. He felt her gaze on him and grew annoyed. "What?" he asked, looking at her.

She cocked her head. "You know this is longest you've ever talked to me without threatening to kill me? Actually, this is the longest you've talked to me period." She grinned and stood. Before she left the room she flashed a smile at him. "Ï'm growing on you." She said in a singsong voice, teasing him. The door closed behind her.

Gaara signed his name again and allowed his mouth to twitch. "Perhaps you are." He said quietly.

**A/N: Fluffiness, thy name is chapter twelve. Darkride, your reverse psychology worked! Not. Review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: The Grudge thingy is behind you. Ha! If you looked, you're a dumbass. Little hint; if someone says 'thingy' don't look**.

**Disclaimer: Run hippies! For the love of God, run!**

"Um… what's she doin'?"

"I have no clue."

"Can I poke her with a stick?"

"Where are you going to get a stick, Kankuro?"

"I can think of a few places…"

_Wham!_

"Owwwww!!!!! Termai!" Kankuro moaned holding his cheek.

"Good one, Termari." Takira said, opening her eyes.

"Um… Takira…. Why are you hanging upside down by the ceiling?" Temari asked. They were in the middle of the living room.

"Because I have to get this pent up charka out." She said, taking one leg of the wall and then the other, landing in a cartwheel on the floor with her back to them. She turned around. "So when's this rain gonna stop?" She asked, looking out the circular window as if she could stop it herself.

"Tonight at the latest, now let's do something." Temari said impatiently.

"Can't we just sleep?" Shikamaru complained, mumbling under his breath about troublesome women.

"Fine." Temari said, pushing him. "You go have your little nap and… Takira wanna have a girls day?"

"A what?" Takira asked, but Temari was already dragging her up the steps.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at his girlfriend and started trudging up the steps. "Keep quiet."

Sauske and Kankuro looked at each other. Kankuro shrugged. "I'm going to fix Crow."

"Yeah… Guess I'll go to bed too."



"Ohhhh!!! This is great! I haven't had another girl to talk to in ages! Well, there was that one week Ino and Sakura were here, but they are waayy too girly for me." Temai said, rifling around in her closet.

"Ummm… Temari? I don't know what we're supposed to do."

Temari looked at her, cocking her head to one side. "You don't remember those parties you would throw when you were younger, with all of your girl friends?"

"See that's where we hit a snag in the road. I've never been to a party," Takira ticked off a finger, "I've never had any friends except Taro," she ticked off another finger, "and I really have no idea what you're about to do to me so, bye-bye"

Takira made for the door, but Temari blocked her, grinning. "Well then, I'll just have to show you."



A few hours later, a door slammed and Takira walked through the open guest room's door where Kankuro, Shikamaru, and Sauske were all talking. Shikamaru sat on the pillow side of the bed, Kankuro in the red chair that matched the flowers on the bedspread and Sauske leaned against a wall. Takira sat down on the edge of the floral bed and growled.

"Shikamaru, your girlfriend is the most troublesome woman I have ever met."

Shikamaru grinned and his voice became dreamy. "Yeah, and that's why I love her." He reached into his Jounin vest and pulled out a cigarette, putting it in his mouth.

Takira sighed and lazily reached over and took it out of his mouth. "No." she said, bored.

She crushed the cigarette and let the remains fall to the floor. She leaned back on the bed.

"You know, you're going to have to clean that up." Kankuro said.

Takira shot up like lightening and something was in Kankuro's face faster than he could blink. He smooshed (Not a word, but go with it) it even farther into his face by putting his hands up to block it. He peeled the gray object from his face and held it at arms length. It was dirty socks, with the Uchiha clan symbol on them. He threw it back to Takira, who caught them expertly. She rolled her eyes.

"Must you put this on all your clothes?" She asked, moving the sock so that the fan was in front. "I mean, who wants to steal your dirty socks?"

Sauske swiped them angrily and they all laughed. Suddenly Shikamaru stopped laughing. "Hey Takira, what was that thing on your stomach?"

Takira froze for a second, and then relaxed. "Oh… nothing, just a tattoo."

Well, let us see it!" Kankuro demanded.

Takira stood and grinned. "Sorry, but I'm not letting you see anything that is covered by my shirt."

"Awww, come on! Your stomach is barely covered by your shirt. I can see part of it now!"

"Sometimes it is better to wonder." Takira said, hands on her hips. There was a sound of a door closing and Temair's footsteps could be heard. "And now my friends, I must make an escape." She said, before disappearing into the floor.



"Temrai, I thought you said the rain was going to end tonight." Takira exclaimed, looking out the rain-washed window.

"This is strange. I hope that it will end before the night is over, we don't want Gaara to be exhausted when Naruto and the others come." Temari said, coming over to the window as well.

"Who do you suppose is coming this time?"

"Hinata, can't come, she's pregnant." Shikamaru offered.

"When did this happen?" Sauske said loudly.

"You know that surprise party for Naruto you refused to go to? That was when Kiba announced it."

"He'll probably bring Lee… oh that's a headache waiting to happen." Temari said.

"And that girl, Sakura. Last I heard, she's been going on more and more missions lately." Kankuro said.

"Neji won't come, if Hinata is pregnant and can't defend herself." Sauske said.

"Heh, whoever said she was defenseless if dead wrong." Shikamaru said. "She has the byukkugan plus all of the other Ninjutsu she's learned. And Kiba has almost the entire Inzukua clan's pack making sure she doesn't strain herself, even Hana's huge dog with the eyepatch."

"So that leaves Naruto, Lee, Sakura Kiba, Shino, Chougi, and Ino of the old group." Shikamaru said thoughtfully. "Chougi and Ino are still on their honeymoon, though they are actually fighting Sound ninja at the same time. Shino will stay behind, to help protect the village and so he can send quick messages to Naruto in case of attack. Hmmm… I'm rubbing off on Naruto. Those three plus Sakura's medic nin skill and Sauske and I would probably be the most strategic way to leave some ninja at home to protect the village, while he's here."

"Good. Takira, you'll have to cook extra and start cleaning out the guest room too." Kankuro said.

Takira hit him in the back of the head with the wooden spoon. "Do you know how long they are staying?"

Sauske grinned. "That's the thing with Naruto. You never know what he's going to do next, so he might take two days to get here and stay for one hour just to have a talk with Gaara. As far as I can see, this isn't really anything other than a friendly visit." Sauske left the room.

Gaara and Shikamaru slid their eyes toward each other at the same time, but kept silent.

**A/N: Well, I'm sorry is you don't like the pairngs, deal with it. To me, Hinata and Kiba kind of work together and the reason Ino is with Chougi will be seen soon enough. Review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Sorry for you guys who don't like my pairings. I guess you can just live with it or go read something else.**

**Disclaimer: You are the kind of person who would feed a fish till it pops for the heck of it.**

The rain did not end in the night. Nor did it end in the day. It ended an entire day after it was supposed to. Finally, when the last cloud left the sky, Gaara stepped forth from his house, sinking an inch into the mud. He set off.

He stopped in the center of the village and held his breath. He released a huge amount of into the land and there were grinding noises throughout the city. He kept pumping charka into the ground, sweat rolling down his brow. He was dimly aware of his sister and brother saying encouraging things to him and the others standing there watching. Finally, his body could take it no more and he fell into darkness.



Takira followed the Sand siblings as they hauled their brother back to the house. Murmurs of people returning to their homes could be heard as they entered the Kazekage's home. Temari and Kankuro saw to their brother and she stood up.

"I'm going to help Taro. Call if you need me." She said quietly.

She left and jumped from building to building through the city. She say that everything was pretty much fixed up, though still damp. She stopped at Taro's house and waited for him to come walking up the streets.

"Hey Takira!" he yelled from behind a bunch of boxes.

Takira took them from him. "Need help?" She laughed.

"Um… please?" Taro asked meekly.

A few hours later the last piece of furniture, the same blue chair, was set down in the living room. Takira grinned. "What would you do without me?"

"Probably the same thing I did last year; pay a bunch of punks to do this for me while I watched." Taro answered without thinking.

Takira smacked him in the back of the head. "Jerk." She muttered.

"I'm kidding. Are you hungry?" Taro said, entering the kitchen.

"No, but I'll stay here. Things are a little tense over at the house. Gaara's recovering and everyone is being quiet, but the strained quiet. Would be nice if they could actually _want_ to be quiet." Takira said, closing her eyes and draping herself across the couch.

Taro started fixing something in the kitchen. "What are you going to cook when the Hokage comes?"

"I could care less."

"I heard he likes ramen."

"I could care less."

"Do you want some pork so you can make some home-made ramen?"

"Taro?" Takira said sweetly, peeking over the top of the couch. "You the droning sound that's going on all the time? THAT'S OTHER PEOPLE TALKING!"



As night fell, Shikamaru actually seemed to become worried. "Naruto and the others are late, and if Lee was traveling with them they should have been early."

Outside, the wind howled. A sandstorm was fast approaching.

"I'm sure they are fine. Kages can take care of themselves and those close to them. The road in the desert and forest is not always easy paths." Takira said quietly. "You should have some faith in him."

"Wow, Takira. That is the most profound thing I have ever heard you say… and it was about a guy who invented 'sexy jutsu'." Sauske smirked

Takira 'hmphed' and turned away from the conversation.



There was a knock at the door. Takira's eyes snapped open and she grabbed a kunai. Her hair stood on end. It was early morning, and pale light flitted into the room. The sandstorm was still going on outside. Her shaking hand reached for the doorknob and opened the door.

Before her stood a group of four… well, five. The member in front had bright blue eyes and blonde hair. Takira recognized the red and white robes of the Hokage. Next to him was a pink-haired woman with green eyes in a red shirt and black shorts. Behind him stood a man with huge eyebrows and a green jumpsuit under the Jounin vest. Takira instantly recognized the last human member of the party, or at least his clan. He had two red strips going down his face and was grinning like a madman. She could detect small fangs and a feral look in his eyes. An Inzuka. Next to him was no doubt his animal familiar. A pure white dog with brown markings on his ears and eyes. A fine dog, his size alone making him look like an intimidating character.

Takira tried to relax, but froze again when the lead one opened his mouth. She moved quickly and covered his mouth, nearly tackling him in the process. "Be quiet. The Kazekage is resting." She felt him nod and stepped back. "I'm guessing you're the Hokage?"

"Yep!" he said loudly.

"Must I cover your mouth again?"

"Oh… right."

Takira rolled her eyes. She had expected an old man of sorts, not a twenty-year-old kid. "Come on in. Just be quiet."

She led them through the house to the kitchen. She got out some leftover batter and butter. She took out a pot and started cooking. A few minutes later, she set down plates of food.

"So who are you?" The pink haired woman asked.

"Takira."

"Why are you here?" the Hokage asked quietly.

"Because there is a sandstorm out there." Takira said, giving the same answer to them as she had Gaara. "I'll go get Shikamaru and Uchiha."

She left without hearing their thanks. _I have this feeling… probably nothing. _She shook her head and entered the guest room. Grinning, she leaned over. Her purple chakra gleamed at her throat as she changed her voice to Temari's.

"Shikamaru! How dare you cheat on me!"

Shikamaru shot bolt right. Noticing Takira, he muttered, "Troublesome woman."

"Your Hokage is here."

Shikarmaru jumped up and ran out the door. Takira whispered yet again that she dyed his stuff pink before floating through the floor down to the kitchen.

"WHOA! HOW DI-"

Takira pinned the Hokage to the floor. "If you wake the Kazekage up, I will stick you to the ceiling." She said clearly. "He did something really great for the village last night and deserves sleep." She got up and helped the Hokage up. Sauske walked into the room. She smirked. "Fell for that one again, eh? One day I'm really gonna dye all your clothes pink."

Sauke 'hned' and turned away.

"Going to sleep, if you wake me up for anything less than murder I'll kick you down to the oasis and back."

**A/N: Grrr…**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Yeah… well… yeah…**

**Disclaimer: Screw the disclaimers. **

Gaara's eyes snapped open. He was still weak but already he could feel other charka signatures in the house. He sat up and dressed quickly, pulling his gourd over his shoulder and making his way to the door. _Naruto must be here…_

He practically ran to the steps, but slowed to a dignified walk when the living room came into sight. He heard voices in the kitchen and saw Takira already cleaning, her robes folded neatly on the couch. She gave him a half-smirk when she saw him.

"Morning. Breakfast is on the counter. If Kankuro ate it, tell me and I'll hurt him." She said before trying to rub a questionable orange smudge off the wall.

Gaara nodded and entered the kitchen. He was not there for more than a second before he was being smothered by something yellow and orange.

"GAARA! HOW ARE YOU DOING BUDDIE?"

"Naruto, volume!" Sakura yelled from where she was standing.

"Oh, right. So how are you, Gaara? Bethcha missed me." Naruto continued, still loud.

Gaara smirked. "I missed you more than I missed that migraine you left me with."

"Hey! I'm not that bad." Naruto said indignantly, folding his arms.

"Says you." Muttered Sakura loudly.

Naruto grinned and moved from where he was with Gaara to where Sakura stood, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "That's why you love me."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately." She said.

Gaara grabbed a plate of pancakes off the counter and sat down. In the chair next to him, Naruto's Hokage robes were thrown askew in the chair beside him. He nibbled at the pancake, though he really didn't have that much of an appetite.

Temari yawned. "Hey guys, let's give Gaara a few minutes to wake up a bit more. Wanna watch Kankuro and I fight Takira?"

Sakura and Lee shrugged and said at the same time, "Sure."

Kiba scratched behind Akumaru's ears. "What do you say, boy?" The dog barked an affirmative.

Temari smiled. "Hey, Takira! Stop cleaning and let's get started."

Takira came into the kitchen. She pressed her lips together. "I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Awww come on!" Kankuro yelled.

"Whining is unattractive, Kankuro." Takira responded. Gaara noticed she seemed a bit absent and… nervous?

"Are you scared, Takira?" Sauske smirked. "Maybe you think that you're going to get beat."

Takira raised an eyebrow. "I have many fears, Uchiha. None of which are in this room. Now, excuse me." She made for the door.

"Hey! Who are you, anyway?" Naruto said abruptly.

Takira rolled her eyes. "I thought we went over this already. I am Takira."

"Why don't you want to fight, Takira?" Temari asked, confused. "You always like fighting with us."

Takira sighed. "Fine. We will fight."



Gaara left with the rest. Kankuro, as usual, was up first. The roof groaned slightly under the weight of so many people, but he knew it would not cave in. Kankuro had Crow run at Takira.

_Finish this fast. Your chakra's not going to last that long. _She dodged and stabbed. A log poofed in front of her. _Substitution. _She felt Crow's long arms warp around her. She grinned.

"You should know better than that, Kanluro." She went straight into the ground, pulling Crow with her.

A moment later, Kankuro was stuck inside crow yet again. "Dead." Laughter could be heard from where everyone was sitting. Temari jumped down from her perch.

"My turn. I think I've perfected it." She smiled and held her fan

Takira said nothing. _Hurry up, girl. Finish it!_

Temari sent a blast her way. Takira felt suddenly as if she could no longer hold in her charka. She held up a hand, and the wind seemed to die. A few purple whisps from Temari's charka merging with her own, Takira's being the stronger, floated in the air, looking like petals. She waved a hand, as if backslapping someone and the wind petals flew back to Temari.

"Ahhh!" Temari was sent flying across the yard, but something caught her.

Her own shadow had reared from the ground in the shape of a hand and made sure Temari did not get hurt. Takira tightened her fist a bit to give Temari a squeeze. "Dead."

Takira released her. "I have to go." She jumped away before hearing anyone's cries of dismay or arguments for her to stay.



"So Naruto, am I guessing right when I say you are not here for friendly hello?" Gaara asked a few minutes later. There were many charka shields over his study so they would not be heard.

Naruto nodded. "You guessed right." He sat in the chair across from Gaara, trouble written all over his face. "We've found the a demon."

Gaara eyes widened and his sand churned in his gourd with anticipation. "Where?"

Naruto seemed to get uncomfortable. "That's the problem. We don't know where. Or even what it is. Or what form it is in. Kiba and Neji found a bunch of people dead and came back to get me. I found a demon's charka signature and we tracked it. We lost it back in the forest a few days ago when we were attacked by Sound ninja." He finished. He clenched a hand, upset.

Gaara sat back in his chair. "This is troubling. Did you ever pick up the trail again?"

Naruto shook his head. "We followed a mile beyond where we were attacked, then it disappeared."

"Do you think that it is working for the Sound ninja or the Akatusuki?"

Naruto shook his head. "I can say definitely not for the Sound. Where it disappeared there were eight of them dead. I was hoping you could shed some light on the Akatusuki."

Gaara sat still. "I cannot… but I know someone who might…" He relayed the events of the attack on Takira by the blonde, including her strange defense.

Naruto sat back. "I wonder why the Akatusuki would want her. She's an admirable fighter, no doubt. Probably would make one of the best ANBU… perhaps they are looking for a new member?"

"Perhaps. I do not know. I think I should keep an eye on her though."

"Agreed." Naruto nodded. "Where is she now?"

"Probably with her friend, Taro. He's one of my Jounins, loyal enough, though I doubt if the Akatusuki come he will be much help." Gaara allowed himself a smirk. "Now my friend, I noticed those looks you were giving Sakura downstairs. What is going on?"

Naruto grinned. "Aww, I can't hide anything from you. We were hoping to announce it tonight. Sakura and I are engaged!"

Gaara nodded indulgently and smiled… yes, smiled, at his friend's delight. "Congratulations. You have my blessing."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks! You'll be there for the wedding, won't you?" Naruto gave hi the best puppy-dog eyes a grown man could muster.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"GREAT!" Gaara winced and they left the room. As they stepped off the stairs, they saw Temari at the front door.

"Hey, is Takira here?" Taro's voice was heard.

Gaara frowned. With the recent talk… something didn't bode well with him that she was gone.

"No, we thought she was with you." Temari said. "Hold on."

"Naruto, cover your ears." Gaara said, doing so himself.

"Why?"

"HAS ANYBODY SEEN TAKIRA!?" Temari bellowed.

"Oh."

There were assorted 'nos' through the house. Gaara frowned.

"Oh no." Taro said worriedly.

Gaara stepped forward. "What's wrong." He demanded.

Taro seemed to pale. "Well…"

**A/N: Mwhahah. You know you love my evilness. Review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: …. **

**Disclaimer: In the words of Carlos Mencia (beep noise) you!**

"Tell me." Gaara said, taking a step towards Taro.

The man shrunk back. "Well… Takira gets in a lot of trouble. You never know who's coming after her next. How long has she been missing?"

Gaara turned to Temari, who shrugged. "A few hours."

Taro bit the edge of his lip before saying, "She probably has charka build up." His eyes widened. "Last time this happened she nearly killed herself getting rid of the chakra…"

Gaara felt a knot in his stomach. The last time he had felt like this was when Naruto nearly died the summer before after a Sound ninja attack. He was… worried? "Temari." He said calmly. His voice was deep and emotionless and his eyes were narrowed.

"Yes Gaara?"

"Get Kankuro and you three go off and find Takira."

Naruto nodded. "We'll go too. Sakura could help her if she's hurt.

Once again, Gaara felt a great roll of gratitude. _This happening waaay too often. _He thought. He nodded curtly. "You are a good fried, Naruto. Thank you."

Naruto grinned and yelled. "Sakura! Lee! Kiba! Shikamaru! Sauske! Come on, we gotta go find that girl…"

"Takira."

"Right. Takira!"

They split up into groups. The Leaf ninjas who had seen Takira for more than an hour, Sauske and Shikamaru, each went with a group of ninjas who hadn't. Sakura and Lee were paired with Shikamaru and Naruto went with Sauske. Temari and Kankuro went off together and Gaara went on his own.

He trailed the streets, watching for a dark figure because even though his people wore dark robes when they were outside, he didn't believe he had seen anyone go to the extreme that Takira did. Of course, the one day he was absolutely sure that he was right, he was wrong.

In some of the nooks and crannies of the city, many wore dark robes, blues and greens and sometimes blacks. Several times he had said her name (for it was beneath him to call out) he was disappointed to get a glare. So disappointed that he didn't even kill the person that dare glower at the Kazekage.

**Baka!**

_What? _Gaara was fast becoming annoyed and his 'other side' as he liked to call the part of his subconscious that retained the Shukaku's personality, was not helping things.

**Sorry, I sneezed.**

_If you wish to tell me something do so or stay silent._

**Fine. You are a complete and total baka.**

_As much as I disagree, this is not the time to argue with myself. I need to find that girl before she hurts herself or someone else. _

**Before I start asking why you care, why don't I point out the obvious. You are Gaara of the Desert.**

_I am aware of that._

**You also are one of the best charka sensors in the world and that girl happens to have one of the strangest charka patterns…**

_I am a baka._

**There you go.**

Gaara closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt millions of normal chkra patterns, even Sakura's unusual one but not Takira's. _Perhaps she left the cit… There! _On the edge of town, on the cliffs, a huge amount of charka was being released. He was there a few minutes later.

There were a dozen Takira's all converging on one spot. He jumped into a tree, unseen by them, apparently, and looked down. There the real Takira was, bleeding and fighting her way through all of her clones, using nothing but ninjutsu.

Gaara watched her as she sent blasts of pure charka at he clones. Finally, she collapsed on her knees, shaking terribly and gasping for breath. He jumped down from the tree and stood next to her. She kept panting for a minute and then looked up at him. Her eyes were unfocused.

"Gaara? I'm sorry…" She took in a deep breath again. "I don't think… I can make it back to the… house…" Her hand reached to her shoulder and she grinned. "Little advice, don't give your clones real weapons."

"Why would you do that?"

"I didn't want to hurt anyone in your village or destroy a person's home."

"Broken timbers and bones can be fixed easily. If you kill yourself, we're not bringing you back." Gaara said wisely.

"I'd rather die this way… then by… the Akatusuki."

"Agreed. Can you walk?"

Takira stood and immediately started to fall. Without realizing it, Gaara put an arm out and caught her and stood her on her own feet without letting go of her waist.

"That's a no." she muttered.

"Why are the Akatusuki after you?"

"That's a story for another time."

Gaara withdrew his arm and Takira fell to the ground. "Tell me, or you will suffer through and sand storm." Night was fast approaching and the wind was picking up.

Takira opened her mouth, but her eyes were still glazed over. Without another word she fell over. Gaara looked to wear she had been sitting and saw that blood was pooled in the ground. A gaping wound in her leg belched more blood.

**A/N: Dun. Dun. Dun. Ha! I got the chapter done with one minute of the day to spare. Suck that bitches! Hhahahahaha… too much sugar… actually, nutella.**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hey, I know you guys all hate me for leaving you with all these questions about Takira but… aww, screw it. You guys can deal with it!**

**Disclaimer: You people suck the hope out of everything. You should not be allowed near small children.**

"Sakura."

"Yes?" The pink-haired kunochi and just about every other ninja in the room turned to Gaara.

He was holding Takira bridal-style, trying to ignore the fact that he was getting extremely… nervous?… about the fact that her head rested on his chest. "Her leg." He said.

"OH! Lay her on the table!" Sakura said, immediately going to worried healer mode.

A few minutes and quite a bit of charka later, Takira's leg and shoulder had been healed. She opened her eyes and jumped when she realized she was being healed.

"That's enough1 I can take care of the rest myself? Whoa." Her legs failed her and she would have fallen to the floor, had Sauske not reached her first. He caught her by the waist and arm, drawing her back up to him before picking her up bridal style (ignoring the death glares he was receiving from her) and sat her on the table.

Grrr… 

_What?_

**Kill him.**

_What?_

**I just… don't like him.**

_I'm not killing my best friend's old friend._

**Why not?**

_Whining is not attractive._

**That's what Takira said this morning.**

_So? I happen to find her an extremely skilled and smart ninja._

**You find Temari and extremely skilled and smart ninja, but you don't quote her.**

_I didn't do it on purpose!_

**Aha!**

_Aha? What aha? Hey! Come back here, I'm talking to you!_

He didn't realize that during the conversation, he had let out a quiet growl. Naruto looked at him worriedly. "Hey, Gaara? What's up, man?"

"Nothing." Gaara said stoically.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "It's Shuakkaku again, isn't it?" Gaara gave him a curt nod. "Don't worry about it. I talk with Kyubbi a lot now that we work together… though he's a bit more sane than Shakkaku."

Gaara nodded again. However, they hadn't realized as they were speaking that there had been another conversation amongst the others. They came in just as Takira crossed her arms over her chest.

"No."

"But you might have other injuries."

"Sakura, I'm fine."

"You don't know that."

"As hard as it may be to believe, I'm am a pretty good ninja and perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Takira said stonily. She looked outside. "It's night. I'm going out. Thanks for all the help." She added softly. She was met with a sand covered wall. She turned around and glared at Gaara. "Move."

"No."

She rolled her eyes. "Please move."

"No." He said, a little more forcefully. The entire kitchen stopped to watch what was going to happen next. More than half of them expected Takira's demise to come.

"Fine have it your way." She shrugged. A moment later, she was waving from the window, and Gaara was staring at the place she had ran into the sand. "I'll be back in the morning." She said, before jumping to the roof. They could hear her run off into the night.



Takira jumped from building to building, looking for a good place to think. She finally found herself back on the tree that Gaara had been in before he had saved her. She closed her eyes to think about the day.

_Saved me… from myself… I think that's the first time I've been saved from death by someone else. Weird, I didn't know it felt this way._ She thought. _What should I do? That was pretty bad, and Sakura almost found my mark. _She sighed. _I __**know **__that there is a demon in the village, I can feel it. But it doesn't feel bad, so I can let it be, right? _

She started to get a headache. _I need a sabbath. A nice, short Sabbath that will get me thinking. _She opened her eyes. "Fine. That's what I'll do. In the morning. Right now, I just want to meditate." She closed her eyes again. And breathed in deeply, ridding her mind of all thought.



"Naruto, I've been thinking…" Sakura started as she came back from the bathroom and into the guest room.

Lee, Kiba, and Akaumaru had been given a small guest room adjacent to theirs that Gaara quickly constructed as soon as the couple had announced their engagement over a… unique dinner. Apparently, when Kankuro had described Takira as their maid, he wasn't that far off. The Leaf ninjas had never seen the house so clean.

"Oh? What about?" Naruto asked, folding his robes into the wardrobe.

"Well… it's about that woman, Takira?"

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, she's something else." He said, climbing into bed.

Sakura got into bed as well. "It's not only that, but she was awake before I started to turn her over. The minute she thought I was going to see her back, she went on the defensive and ran out, even though we both know that her charka was near gathered enough. I mean, she barely had enough to go through Gaara's sand wall."

Naruto thought about his. "Yes, I suppose that's true. Do you think that she's hiding something from us?"

Sakura sweat dropped, but said in a serious voice, "Honestly, Naruto. You're supposed to be the Hokage. Everyone is supposed to be a suspect for something of another."

Naruto laughed and kissed her. "Yes, but I have faith in my friends." He lay down, hugging Sakura. He had almost drifted off to sleep when he heard Sakura say his name sleepily into his chest. "Yes?"

"There's something else." She paused, and he waited, though part of him wanted to call upon his younger self and scream at her to speak. Finally, she sensed his apprehension and said, "When I turned her over, before she jumped away… I saw something. Something black."

**A/N: OHHH!!! I think I'm getting good at this cliffhanger thing, even though you all probably hate me for it. Anywho, I will be updating less and less because I have school, which totally drains me, and because I want to write at least one page a day per day for a story I actually want to get published, so sorry.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Hahahahahahahaha….**

**Disclaimer: Ya… ya know what? You all can get the off my back. I have nothing you want. Yes, I am broke. A cow's is worth more than all the money in my cash jar.**

"You what?" Gaara asked, resisting the urge to blink stupidly.

"Not me, Sakura." Naruto said, motioning to his fiancée.

Gaara looked at the pink haired woman, who blushed timidly. "I… saw something black on her back… it could have been a tattoo… but…."

"Hey Gaara!" Takira called from the kitchen.

Gaara looked at Naruto, who shrugged and nodded. Gaara transported to the kitchen, behind Takira and grabbed her shoulder. She jumped and brought out a kunai. Gaara smirked as a light, _very _light, blush crept to her cheeks. Takira ,the badass, getting startled. It was amusing even to the emotionless Kazekage. She glared when she saw his smirk.

"Don't you even think about it, sand boy." She said, pointing at him accusingly. "Anyway, I have two things to say. One, I'm taking a twenty-four hour Sabbath."

"No."

Takira looked at him with her best puppy dog eyes and put her hands together, bending her knees slightly. "Pleeeeeassssse???" After two weeks, she could do a perfect imitation of Kankuro.

"No."

Takira straightened and shrugged. "Oh well, can't blame a girl for trying." She looked at him seriously. "Gaara, I need to think. Alone. I can't have anyone around me… I need to make some decisions…" She trailed off.

Gaara looked at her eyes. He sighed, defying running a hand through his hair dejectedly. "Fine. But if you are not back in twenty four hours, I'm coming after you and dragging you back here myself."

Takira smiled and nodded. "Deal. And as for the second thing… don't get mad."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "I already am. Tell me."

Takira put an arm behind her back. "Umm… you know what, you can figure it out by yourself."

Gaara wrapped his sand around her waist. He smiled as he tested out his secret theory. He kept his sand moving only slowly and in the center, and Takira didn't move through it. Now that he knew that he could counter it, he wanted to figure out her jutsu. But first, he had to play the part of Kazekage and draw information from her.

Takira growled. "Fine. Let me go and I'll tell you."

Gaara's sand dropped to the ground, as if dead, but he kept it ready to wrap around her should she try and bolt.

"Um… don't kill him but… Shikamaru is kinda making out with your sister in the living room."

"WHAT!"

"Bye now!"



Takira ignored the sweat making a trail from her temple to her jaw. She was sitting in the gnarled tree in the dried oasis that she had first met Gaara in. _I've been here far too long. He's already figured out how to counter my jutsu. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! _She took in a deep, cleansing breath._ Cursing will get me nowhere. Let's sort this out logically._

_One: Do I want to stay?_

**Yes. **Said a cool, but not entirely unexpected voice.

_No. Now what are you doing here?_

**Lying to yourself will get you nowhere.**

_Stop talking to me._

**Why should I?**

_Because last time you talked to me, I killed three people and destroyed a building in the Grass Village. Now I'm considered a criminal, and had to go for eight days without sleep and nearly was captured by the Akatusuki, __**again. **__ Thank you, by the way, for that._

**They were assholes. **

_Leave me alone. I must make this decision myself._

**I never get to have any fun.**

_My life, not yours._

Takira pushed the voice away. She took another breath and continued to think. _Pro: I have somewhere to live. Con: I'm more easily found. Pro: I have a steady income and food every night. Con: I'm a maid and Kankuro's always staring at me. Pro: Gaara is kinda on my side. Con: I __**know **__Sakura saw something last night. Pro: I really like everyone here. Con: I really like everyone here._

She opened her eyes. The sun was setting. "I know what to do." She said, with less conviction than when she had said it last time.

She ran across the desert, back to the Kazekage's house.



Gaara stared at the puke green mess that he was sure he would see twice that night. Temari was frowning as well, and it was her own cooking! Sauske was the only one who got out of eating without getting hit. Shikamaru was dodging various glares that Temari sent his way to get him to eat. The front door slammed and Gaara's sand immediately began to churn in his gourd. It settled down when he heard the voice though.

"Hey! Get your coats! We're going out for dinner, my treat!" Takira called demandingly.

Naruto looked at Gaara. "She really has nerve to yell at you like that."

Takira poked her head in the room. She looked annoyed. "Now." She said, as if she hadn't been clear enough, and went back into the living room.

The eight ninjas glanced at each other until Kankuro jumped up. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm following the hot chick."

"I heard that!" Takira yelled and Kankuro winced.

The ninjas shuffled outside where Takira and a very tired looking Taro, despite the earliness of the night, stood. When Taro saw the ninjas, he brightened.

"Oh thank the gods!" He threw himself behind them. "She's gone absolutely nuts!"

Takira glared at him… well, their legs. "I'm not nuts. It's either you go out to dinner with us, or I'll hang you from your own ceiling."

Taro poked his head between Naruto's and Sakura's shoulders. "You know, you have a very mean way of being nice." (Think about the way Sokka talks from Avatar.)

Takira grinned. "Yep, and that's why so many people love me and are currently trying to kill me."

Taro sweat dropped. "You are an idiot."

"Not more so than you, now come on! I'm offering a free meal." Takira said, putting her hands on her hips.

The ninjas followed her back to the bar.

**A/N: Ohhh, wonder what's going to happen in next chapter.**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: I forgot to say this in last chapter: Yes, Darkride, another crazy insane little voice in a person's head**.

**Disclaimer: Mwhahahahahahaha… oh yeah, I gotta save that for later.**

"Another round!"

Gaara frowned. That was the third time that Takira had ordered drinks for all of them, though half of them hadn't finished their second and she was using up all of her money fast. Anyone could pretty much ask her for anything short of sex and she would give it to him or her. He would have sworn she was drunk if he hadn't seen her touch a drink the entire night.

He touched her arm, whispering in the rowdy atmosphere of the bar. "Takira, what are you doing, this isn't like you."

Slight fear and guilt flashed across her eyes, before her mask went back up. "I know, I just want everyone to have a great time."

"But why?" He squeezed her arm a bit tighter, ignoring the comments the Shukkukau was making.

Takira bit her lip. "Gaara, this isn't the time. I'll explain… later." She said. She stood and announced she was going to the bathroom.



Takira went in the direction of the bathroom, and when she couldn't feel Gaara's piercing stare on her back, She went out the side door to the alley. She slammed her back against the cold wall of the building and slid down. She covered her mouth and let out a stifled sob. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

_Wh… Why?_

**Why are you hurting, little one? **The cool voice asked in a motherly way.

Takira nodded, even though she knew that the voice really didn't have eyes to see it.

**Heh, it because you've grown attached. It's because you know that beyond this night, these people might hate you. It's because you know that you will never see any of them again, it'll be from afar and that if you do, you'll be praying to Kami that they don't see you. It's because no matter what, you'll always be thinking about them. You're giving them up, honey, and it hurts.**

Takira sobbed, and tried to pass it off as a cough. _It… didn't hurt this bad last time... when I gave Taro up…_

**Taro left you, you didn't give him up. He left you and now you're leaving them. What he felt then you are feeling now, though on a much bigger scale, and tomorrow morning, they are going to feel as you did back then. I think that man, Gaara, already knows, or at least a part of him.**

_Gaara? I wonder it he'll…_

**Of course he will! **Said the voice, agitated. **He's been through something…. I don't know what, but I can tell.**

_Women's intuition? _Takira asked sarcastically.

**Yes. This is going to hurt him more than you know.**

Takira stood. "I'm just a random girl he hired off the street so that he didn't have to clean up after himself. It doesn't matter that I'm leaving. People are born, people die, people come into your life, people leave. Life goes on."

**And they say _I'm_ dark. **The voice said mournfully before disappearing into the back of her mind.

"Well, this random girl off the street seems like the most fun I'm going to have tonight." A rough voice said beside her.

Takira whirled around and saw a man standing five feet away. _Oh, hell no. This dickhead is not going to mess with me. _She smirked. "And you look like the most fun I'm going to have tonight." She said seductively. She walked towards him, clasping her hand behind her and swaying her hips slightly.

The man chuckled evilly. "Glad I won't have to force ye'."

"Oh no, in fact this is one of my favorite things to do." Takira said, she was about an inch away from him now.

The man moved in slowly for a kiss, and Takira punched him in the gut. Her hand was followed by her knee then her foot. She heard three consecutive cracks. The man spat up blood. She flung him away from her. She hadn't punctured anything that would kill him, but it would hurt like hell to breathe. She smiled. At least Kankuro wouldn't have to be her solution for her anger and frustration.

Her tears from before, though dried, still had the trails from whence they came. Because of her tan skin and slightly dusty face, it would be at least an hour before anyone could see her real face. She put up a small genjutsu and reentered the bar.

She was glad to see that everyone was completely and totally wasted, except of course Gaara. She smiled half-heartedly at him. "I'll take Taro, you take the others?" The familiarity and the recognition of the fact that something had been expected between the two made her heart clench and made her glad that she had a genjutsu over her face.

Gaara nodded curtly and she draped Taro's arm over her shoulder. "Hey… Issshot I told you I dwon't like yyyyoooou like that…" the man slurred.

Takira rolled her eyes and grinned at Gaara, who responded with a blank stare. She shrugged and left the bar, 'accidentally' bumping into Gaara and slipping a scroll into his pocket.



_There. She's fine. Taking care of her idiot friend and grinning like always. _Gaara thought.

**Baka.**

_We've been over this._

**Then why do you insist on acting like a baka?**

_Shut up, demon. _Gaara repressed the demon to the back of his mind. He had enough energy to keep him there for five minutes at the most, so he quickly got his friends home much the way he had done before. As he dumped Naruto into his bed next to a sleeping Sakura (both had thrown up twice on the way back, so it was safe enough for them to sleep) and left the room. He was back in the living room when Shukkau broke through the mental barrier.

**Baka! What the hell? I could have helped you with your stupidity.**

_I am too tired to listen to you._

**Didn't you notice that Takira had a genjutsu about her face? Or the fact that your pocket is heavier since she last talked to you?**

Gaara mentally shrugged. _I'll force her to talk to me when she gets home._

**No wonder you don't have a mate yet. **The demon muttered before realizing what Gaara said fully. When he did, he exploded. **BAKA! SHE'S NOT COMING BACK!**

Gaara heart skipped a beat. _What… no, she wouldn't…_

**Check your pocket. **The demon said tiredly.

Gaara's shaking… wait, why was he shaking?… hands reached into the pocket of his pants. A scroll. He unraveled it and a smaller summoning scroll tumbled out. He read the larger one.

_Gaara,_

_Use this scroll only in the direst of circumstances…_

_Or it could mean the death of you, your entire village, and me._

_It has to be this way._

_Takira._

'It has to be this way, Takira.' That was it. No 'I'll miss you', no 'I'm sorry', nothing but a warning and some stupid scroll! Gaara felt his blood boil. He called the names of the three most capable shinobis in the village, besides himself and his siblings.

The three, Baki, a large man named Miro, and a small woman named Kim bowed before him. "Kazekage-sama." They said in unison.

Gaara nodded at them curtly. "I want you all to find that woman that has stayed with me for the past few weeks. Long black hair, dark clothes, black desert robes, tan skin, and purple crescent tattoo around her naval. Go." He outlined her general look, though he omitted her mark on her back. He still didn't know what it was and didn't have patience for mistakes. He sat on the couch.

_Why do I care?_

**A/N: Well, you all knew it was coming, **_**right Darkride**_**? And it is the return of the little voice in Gaara's head** **returns! Mwhahahahah! Yes well… Review!**


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: Hahahahahahahah. Yes I know I'm evil and mean.**

**Disclaimer: God, you people just love to kick people when they're down, don't you?**

"Kazekage-sama."

Baki bowed at Gaara's back because currently the leader was looking out the window, as if Takira would magically appear. It was far into the day by now and hardly anyone was awake. He knew that she had planned it this way. She had single-handedly immobilized the best ninja in the village so they could not find her again. What was worse was that he had actually let her when he knew something was not right that night. He knew he should have investigated further. He berated himself continuously when he was not recieving reports from Baki, Miro, and Kim that she had dropped off the face of the Earth.

"We could not find any trace of the girl in the desert."

Gaara had to swallow before he could speak again. "Fine. Dismissed."

Baki left and Gaara went back to his desk, putting his elbows on the table and his hand in his head. He had no idea why he felt this crushed. He knew that the chances of finding her in the desert, especially with her powers and the fact that she did not want to be found were slim to none, but still that one hope was what kept him up that night. Well, that and the insomnia.

**You should have gone after her immediately. **Shukkaku reminded him again, even though he knew how painful it was for him.

_Hn. I don't care. I just want to make sure she doesn't give away any secrets from the Sand Village._

**Riiiighht. She could tell them that your one weakness is getting drunk or maybe even… oh no… not the stew recipe!**

_Shut up. _Gaara said, forcing the voice to the back of his mind. To his surprise, it didn't budge.

**No. Now I'm not supposed to help you here, but I want you to go downstairs, toss that lazy fox out of bed and take him to the one spot you think Takira might have visited before she disappeared. **He was deadly serious. When Gaara didn't respond, he gave a mighty heave inside his mind, and Gaara moved forward five steps before regaining control. **I will toss you down the stairs if you don't get moving.**

Gaara growled and went downstairs. He kept his gaze averted from the couch, where Shikamaru now slept (He really did not trust the drunk shinobi two doors away from his sister). He walked down the narrow side hallway that was cut into the corner of the living room. He followed it to the end, and knocked on the door. A bright-eyed Naruto opened it.

"Morning, Gaara!" Hew said loudly.

"NARUTO!" Sakura's angry voice could be heard from inside the room.

"Ehhe, Sorry." Naruto said. He moved out of the room and closed the door behind him. "Thank the gods that the Kyubbi can speed up my digestive system. I get sick once, and bang! No hangover." He smiled.

"Naruto, Shukkaku has been speaking to me…"

Naruto looked at him sharply. "I told you, you shouldn't listen to that crazy raccoon."

"I resent that." Said a voice very different from Gaara's own. Both Kage's eyes widened. "We demons can be very insightful when we want to be."

"I know. You humans are too pigheaded." Naruto clamped a hand over his mouth. The raspy and deep voice continued anyway. "Too bad we're not allowed to help them, eh?"

Gaara pushed away whatever Shukkaku was about to say. "Naruto, he says I'm supposed to bring you to where I think Takira might visit before she left. But besides here, there really is nowhere that I think she would go."

Naruto put his 'thinking' face on. After a moment he grinned. "I have no idea." He opened the door to his room. "Sakura, Gaara and I need to talk. When you're done, come see us."

Gaara looked at him curiously. "Is that a good idea?"

Naruto shrugged. "Who knows women more than women? Let's got get Temari."



Temari and Sakura exchanged the men-are-idiots looks that every woman has to do at least once in their lives as the two youngest Kages ever; the two supposedly strongest geniuses to ever walk the earth discussed which place would be most important to Takira.

At last, when Naruto finally offered the dumbest idea ever, Sakura stepped in. "Guys, do you really think that Takira would be at a strip bar? God, I'm getting married to a moron."

Naruto grinned. "That's why you love me." He gave her the look that he gave her whenever she called him an idiot when they were teenagers. "And if you're so smart then where do you think she went?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Well, let's start from the beginning. Where is the first place you met her?"

Gaara stood. "The oasis." He started for the door.

Temari frowned. "The oasis? Why would she go there?" she asked to thin air. Sakura and Naruto were already gone after Gaara. Temari had to run to meet them outside and catch them before Gaara transported to the dried oasis.

Gaara seemed to look around as frantically as someone as prideful and dignified him could. Which meant he was walking around with his hands behind his back. Naruto frowned.

"Gaara, look."

Everyone moved over to the spot. It looked as if someone had dropped a giant cylinder upside down in the dirt. It wasn't wet, though. It was slightly faded and only one who had stopped to look would have taken any special consideration of it. Gaara looked at Naruto. It obvious by his grim face that he had seen it before.

"Naruto, do you know what this is?"

Naruto swallowed and jerked his head up and down. "Yeah…" he seemed spooked. "But that was a couple of weeks ago…" He turned his head to meet Gaara's eyes. "And it was in the forest near our village, surrounded by eight dead Sound ninjas."

**A/N: Ohhh, sound familiar?**


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: Yay! I'm glad so many of you like my story!**

**Disclaimer: I will rule the world! Oh wait, wrong show…**

"So… Takira is the Jinchuriki of some demon or another." Naruto said gravely. He tightened his hold on Sakura's hand.

Gaara did not answer. He was sitting at his desk, but looking out one of the rounded window. He felt so betrayed.

**You know, she really never did anything to you. **

_Don't make excuses._

**Come on! She was perfectly civil. Just because she didn't tell you…**

_Silence._

**Maybe she thought you would do to her what the Akatusuki did to you. **Shukkaku said before disappearing.

_She… she really thought that we would do that? _Gaara looked down and felt a slight twinge of remorse. _Maybe nothing she said was really her… it could have been an act…_

"Gaara? How about it, buddy?" Gaara looked up at Naruto and gave him a blank look. Naruto rolled his eyes and restated what he had said before. "I'm going home with everyone today. We'll draw up posters of Takira and hand them out exclusively. We'll contact you if we find anything out."

Gaara nodded. "Thank-you, Naruto." He wasn't sure what else to say. He had been taught to say thank you when he was grateful or to be polite, but right now those words didn't seem to fit with his gratitude.

Luckily, Naruto had learned long ago to read his friend's eyes.



"Listen up!"

Twelve heads turned towards him. Ino and Chougi had returned from their honeymoon. Ino was standing with Sakura, TenTen and Hinata (Naruto grinned at the slight bulge in her stomach that wasn't there before), telling them all about it. Chougi was standing with Shikamaru, Akamaru, Lee and Kiba laughing about something or the other (though Shikamaru was still slightly bummed at the fact that he had to leave Temari behind). Shino and Neji stood a little apart from them, talking quietly. Sauske stood alone, much to Naruto's displeasure.

"You all received papers this morning with a portrait of a young woman on it. Don't go out of your way, but keep an eye out for her. She'll most likely be traveling alone. If you see her, approach carefully. Be friendly, and I'm sure she won't attack. Use caution, though. She's extremely strong."

"We can always tell her by her bitchy attitude." Sauske spoke up, getting small laughs and smirks from those who hadn't met her and disapproving frowns (though not necessarily glares) from those who had. At Naruto's frown everyone's smirk disappeared.

"Just do as I say and for the love of the gods above, don't let _anyone_, especially her or even your friends know about this. Dismissed."

Some of his friends left, others stayed behind, but in more relaxed poses. He signaled to Sauske. The man walked over with the same I-don't-care attitude that he had had when they were kids. When he was close enough that no one would hear, Naruto began.

"Man, that was uncalled for. You've got to imagine how it feels to be her…"

"I don't have to, I've been through hell, mental and physical. What can she be going through that was worse than what I did at_ eight_?" Sauske said, looking away stubbornly.

"Maybe you should ask her. We Jinchuriki don't have easy lives. She might have gone through the same thing you did… or worse." Naruto said seriously. He decided he wasn't going to get anymore of a reaction out of him. "Now come on! Let's go out for ramen!"



While Naruto and Sauske were eating, everyone was preparing. Eventually, the fruits of their labor were produced.

Shino sent out half his insects to look for her in the forest and beyond. Some carried back strange charka signatures, but when he showed them to Naruto, the fox man shook his head, disappointed. Takira's charka signature was too unique to even get their hopes up about a few unusual bits of information.

Sakura was spending more and more time at the hospital, and when she wasn't there, Ino was. Sakra was extremely worried that someday they would find her bloodied corpse from some attack or another. The Akatusuki had been unnaturally quiet lately, and Sakura had convinced herself that Takira was being hurt every second of every day. Tenten, who owned a chain of weapons stores in both Suna and Konoha on the side, told all of her employees that Takira was an old friend and she was to be contacted immediately should any of them see her.

Neji had years ago some to terms with Hinata and both decided that the side branch of the family should have more pull. Hinata, being the heir to the Hyugga line, changed so many rules that the line between the Side and Main branch families was virtually nonexistent. Naruto knew for a fact that Hinata was planning on keeping the mark on the side branch secret until her child was old enough to know when to use it without abusing their power. Now Neji was second in command with the Hyuggas. Hinata, being under stict orders not to strain herself by both her brother and husband, left the job to him. He sent many of his younger siblings and cousins to search. He himself used his byakkugan at the very edges of the village's borders. He reported not seeing one woman with long hair traveling alone.

Kiba had taken the pillow that she had slept on in Suna home and allowed the entire kennel to smell it. His sister, Hana, took the dogs and a section of the pillow out on every mission in case they smelt her. Nothing.

Chougi and Shikamaru accepted more lessons, though they were curiously alone when it came to Ino. (I wonder why.) When asked, Chougi would mutter something about being worried about her health.

Lee began running through the village as a part of his training as well. When asked by Gai, who he still called sensei, he would say he liked to see the people of the village. Not exactly a lie, and had he had it his way, he would have told his idol in a second, but he was under oath from the Hokage and he had a huge sense of honor.

Sauske, went missing for periods of time, though Naruto knew exactly where he went. He went into the forest of death and trained, mumbling about beating the 'bitch' or he went searching on his own, though the sharigan didn't help out in the wilderness like the byakkugan. It was here that he became worried about his friend. It seemed that as the days went by, Sauske's obessesion with beating Takira, the only woman to have ever challenged him, grow into infatuation. If there was anything to be said from the Kyubbi, it would be that Gaara (or at least his Shukkaku) had his eyes on Takira as well. This did not bode well.

Unfortunately, all of their preparation was for naught, and a few weeks later, some had become lax in their strict sense of searching. Neji's cousins and siblings were pulled back; the Inzukas stopped sniffing the sections of pillow, even Sakura seemed to relax a bit when the emergency bell was wrung, and Naruto had the distinct feeling that Takira had been given up for the dead. Or the gone, by any accounts.

**A/N: Aww, so sad. Anyway, how does everybody like how our heroes' lives are turning out? I thought that giving Tenten a chain of weapon stores fit in a way. Review!**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: You know what? I don't want to talk. You go and read the story I've worked so painstakingly over and like it!**

**Disclaimer: Dude, WTF? I've told you this twenty-one other times already. Yes, I know you are all sad about the fact that I don't own Naruto. Get over it. **

_I know her… I know I know her. But where? _"Miss, can I help you with something?"

"Um…" the woman seemed hesitant. "Yes. I need something that says 'I'm sorry'."

"Oh, we have a lot of those."

"Really?"

"You'd be surprised the messages we have to convey in a flower shop." Ino said, walking out from behind the counter and turning into the chatterbox that we all know she is. "I'm sorrys, please don't leaves, I hate yous, congratulations on your first kills..." Ino trailed off. "Now, pink is always nice… but blue convey sadness and regret! But I used blue for Hinata's baby shower." The woman fidgeted slightly. "Yellow is a happy color but… we've been selling too much yellow lately." Ino tapped her chin. "Whom are you getting them for?"

"A friend that I don't know that well." The woman answered shortly.

Ino cocked her head. "Really? How come?"

"I left without saying good bye. Listen, I'm on a hurry, so whatever you have will you just throw it together?" The woman wrung her hands slightly nervously. Her purple eyes darted to the window every few minutes.

Ino grabbed a few flowers here and there and arranged them beautifully. "There you go. Would you like me to write a note and can I have the address of where you are currently residing?"

The woman ignored her question and tossed her some money. "Thanks." She said, before walking out of the shop quickly, jumping ot the roof of the building.

Ino frowned. "How strange." She muttered before attending to a small girl who had walked in a few minutes ago.



Sakura opened the door. She looked down and picked up a bouquet. "Huh? I wonder who sent this." She said, going inside and closing the door. "Naruto! Come down here." She called.

Yes, our engaged heroes were living in the same house (more like Hokage's quarter's since their 'house' was really just the Hokage building and the apartments within.), but they slept in different rooms and were so busy with work it was as if they weren't. However, this was one of those rare days when they were both home and had absolutely nothing to do but poor over bridal books, something Naruto detested. He came downstairs in a hurry.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Sakura took out a vase and began cleaning it. "We've got a bouquet, see if there is a note attached." She said loftily, searching for the yellow sponge.

Naruto picked up the pretty bouquet carefully. A plum purple note fell out. He frowned. _That's strange… flower stores usually only sell white cards. _He thought, carefully picking it up. He read the inky black writing.

_You really are a great Hokage._

_Congratulations to you and Sakura._

_Sorry._

_Sorry? Who sent this? _Nartuo thought. He set in on the table and rested his head on his hands. It seemed to familiar, yet he couldn't think of it. Although, he found it hard to think of anything with the looming wedding; he barely made it through the day with his Hokage duties.

"Naruto, get ready! We have the dinner recital tonight!" Sakura said, putting the flowers in an ornate glass vase. They had to hold the recital early because Naruto's best man, Gaara, couldn't make it until the next week. Oh well, that left more time for what Naruto called 'drunk time', though everyone knew that the Hokage avoided getting drunk as much as the Kazekage.

"Fine." Naruto sighed, going upstairs. The thought of the mysterious note would plague him all night.



The recital was a big hit; the married couples came over afterward along with Sauske to talk about the wedding one week from then. Everyone (except Hinata, who by then was two months pregnant) had a drink in their hands and was talking loudly. The women sat down at the table.

"I tried telling my cousin that he should be married, but he thought it 'wasn't the right time for it' and somehow incorporated the word destiny!" They, of course, were talking about Neji and Tenten and yes, this was Hinata. As she got older and more powerful (and had the very loud husband Kiba to contend with), she had stopped stuttering, and now only spoke when she (in Shino's words) thought that her opinion would truly be heard. With her girlfriends, she knew that she would never go unnoticed.

"Hey, Sakura, that's one of my bouquets." Ino said, pointing.

Sakura glanced at it. "Could you tell me who got it? We weren't sure and the note was handwritten and very mysterious."

Ino thought for a moment. "Yes. She wasn't that talkative…" Everyone in the room had their attention on her now. A mysterious note to the Hokage? This was interesting. "She was very dark, and tanned. She had purple eyes and long black hair…" Ino grew quieter with every word.

They all shared glances. "Get all of us ready! Check every hotel! When you find her, wait for me! Got that? Move!" Naruto yelled.

They left calmly, not bespeaking their urge to run off in another direction to whatever hotel they thought most likely. Naruto grabbed Sauske's arm and waited for everyone, even his wife, to leave. He looked into his friend's dark eyes.

"Sauske, don't do anything stupid." He said warningly.

The Uchiha smirked. "I thought that was your job."

Naruto's grip tightened. "I'm serious. If you find her, send out the signal. You are not to make any contact with her whatsoever."

Something flashed in Sauske's eyes, but he nodded anyway.

"Let's go find Takira."

**A/N: Yeah our, well **_**mine**_** anyway, favorite heroine is coming back! Activating guilt trip powers... I worked so hard... fuck that I sound like my mom. Review or i wll send a horde of Sauske's rabid fangirls to tear apart your house.**


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N: Hmm…. **

**Disclaimer: What to feed my beloved insane evil gerbil? Hm…. How about annoying people who must constantly remind me that I do not own something…**

Takira sighed. She had to leave in the morning. Okay, so she didn't have to, but staying and giving them times to figure out who sent the note wasn't the best of ideas… according to her. According to the annoying voice, it was a good thing she was staying. The voice was the only reason that Takira was spending the night. Damn demons and their persuasive ways…

She frowned. The energy in the village had changed slightly. Her Boushi no Senro (Tracking Eye) kept her in tune with chakra pressure as far as a kilometer away, to a point where she could feel if people were mad, embarrassed or sad. These emotions affected their charka patterns (Remember when Shikamaru first got to the Kazekage's house and Temari blushed). It didn't keep her acutely aware to the charka patterns as far being able to pinpoint them like the byakuggan, but she saw, or felt, rather the charka movements in waves.

Right now, more than one person rather close by was panicking. _An attack? No, they are all scattered. Wait… Uchiha! He must live around he… no! He's in the building._ Takira stood up from where she had been dozing in the green chair. _He's so close… it's pointless to try and cover my charka now; it would only confirm his suspicion. Damn! There are probably people looking for me all over the city._

**You know you are happy.**

_Silence demon!_



Sauske jumped from roof to roof of the city, searching for… _There it is. _He smirked. He stopped and jumped down to the street below, scattering loose pebbles. He entered the hotel and ignored the lobbyist, who was giving him looks that clearly said 'leave'.

He went up three flights of stairs and down a long hallway before he saw the door to his destination. He didn't bother with picking the lock, he quietly summoned the fir to his chest and let it out his mouth in a small stream. The doorknob melted right off.

For a moment he paused. Naruto's warning rang in his mind. Sauske shook his head. What was his childhood rival going to do? Though he had long ago left Orochimaru, he retained some of the old thoughts. Naruto was strong and amazingly skilled, but he was far too trusting. Sauske entered the room without as second thought. He saw her immediately. The lights were off, but the star and moonlight was enough. It had been nearly two months, but there she stood, the same as ever.

"Uchiha." She said coldly.

"Takira." Sauske placed his hand in his pockets and stared into her eyes. When he realized that she could continue this staring contest for days, he spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Takira said evenly.

Sauske changed tact. "How did it feel?"

Takira smirked. "Is that one of those crappy pick-up lines I sense? Sorry, Uchiha, I don't believe in long-distance relationships."

Sauske shook his head and chuckled, stepping forward. "No, I mean when you betrayed Gaara and the rest of us."

She took a step back and glared, he had hit a nerve. "I did no such thing." She hissed, failing to keep a small trace of anger out of her voice.

Sauske stepped forward again, loving how uncomfortable it made her. She stepped back. "Oh yes you did." He said, continuing to move toward her. "See, I'm not stupid, Takira. You stay with the Kazekage for a week and then split as soon as more powerful ninja come around. Who'd you sell the information to? Some Grass lord or other?" He leaned forward; she couldn't back up much more. "The Sound Village?" He leaned forward even more as she moved slightly back. "Or maybe my brother?"

_Smack! _He stumbled back out of surprise, putting a hand to his cheek."How dare you." She hissed. Her clenched hand glowed a little. "If you would remember, _I'm _not the one who betrayed her entire village for a little bit of power."

Sauske's eyes flashed. He darted forward and punched her in the stomach, sending her sprawling. He picked her up roughly by the arm and squeezed tightly. "Who did you tell!?" He said, getting louder and angrier.

Takira's hands slipped through his own, numbing them. She kicked him it the gut and moved behind him. She pushed his back and he fell towards the window. Her hand glowed more brightly this time, with her purple charka. "I would never betray them, him of even you!" she spat. She walked towards him. She froze for a second, and then fell over.

Neji Hyugga stood behind her. He looked annoyed. "Didn't the Hokage us explicit orders not to engage this woman?" Sauske mentally cursed. Neji had always been good at hiding his charka. Both of them being extremely angry couldn't have helped much either.

"It's… complicated."

Neji didn't like this answer, but the man nodded. "Send the signal for everyone to get back to the tower." He said shortly.

Sauske went outside and took a deep breath. He made the hand signals and his chest puffed out. "Phoenix Fire!"

The glow from his fire filled the sky and from where he stood, he saw a few of his comrades jumping from the ground of other buildings back to the tower. One of Shino's bugs flew by his nose. He stepped back inside.

Neji was holding her bridal style and Sauske could tell that he wasn't very happy about the situation. Hell, he wasn't either. He pushed away the prickling annoyance that his fight had been interrupted and that Neji was the one bringing her back. He kept his face emotionless as they left.

Neji signed her out and they jumped their way back to the Hokage's Tower. Everyone stood in uneasy silence. The red hawk that had been breed from the Third Hokage's original hawk flew above their heads and out into the night, turning in the direction of Suna.

The small crowd parted for them. Ino leaned it when they passed her and nodded, whispering to the people around her that Takira was the same woman that came into her family's shop the other day. They approached Naruto's turned back. Sakura sent nervous glances their way. When they stopped five feet away from him, he turned.

_Kuso. _By the look on Naruto's face explaining _why _he talked to her would be hard. Why he _fought _her would be even harder. Naruto, the number one hyper-active knucklehead ninja, looked positively angry.

**A/N: Oooh, Naruto's going badass. And Sauske is such a bitch! Review!**


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: Hi guys! I know that you all want to know what the story's name is in English but…. I'm not telling! If you must, then you can go and look it up on one of the sites, but it will add to the story is you didn't, it's going to turn out to be a cliffhanger later… ops! Sorry, you weren't supposed to hear that. On to the interesting Disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: (stands in the middle of destroyed room)**

**Naruto: What happened?**

**Me: George got the machine gun.**

**Sakura: George?**

**Me: OMFG! Your hair is pink!**

**Sakura and Naruto: (Twitches) Yeah? **

**Me: George is back! Run! (My evil hamster with machine gun with I-Do-Not-Own-Naruto on the side pops up.**

**AHHHH!!!**

Naruto stared at Takira. She had been centered against the far wall of the large meeting room, on a small mattress that Sakura had dragged in from one of the adjoining rooms. Everyone else was on the other side of the room, whispering amongst him or herself.

Takira had small cuts on her body in some places and he was _sure _his ninjas didn't do that. And if they had, they were in very big trouble. There were slight bags under her eyes, telling him that she hadn't slept much lately. She was still unconscious, but that was normal. Neji had admitted to pressing the nerve rather hard, so it would be uprising if she woke up anytime in the next hour.

He rubbed his temples. The moment he saw Saukse's fire, he was extremely annoyed. The fire meant go back to the Hokage Tower and to go back to the Hokage Tower meant that somebody had her… and no one could get a fire quite as large as an Uchiha. Needless to say, the Hokage was grade-A pissed.

He turned around and he saw that some shrank back, while others, like Hinata and Kiba (who both had refused to back down to _anyone _since they were teenagers) stood still and looked him straight in the face. Sakura was at him side, casting worried glances at Takira every so often.

"Thank you my friends, finding this girl was very important. I will explain more about her later, but for now I suggest you go home and get some rest." There were audible sighs of relief and words of disappointment. "Neji, Sauske, I need you two to stay behind for a little while."

Both of his friends accepted this news with stoic faces. As the last of the people filtered out through the double doors, Naruto nodded to his fiancée. She went over to Takira and sat at her feet, resting her head against the wall. Naruto felt a pang of sympathetic guilt for his tired soon-to-be wife, but there was something he had to do.

The two men followed their Hokage through a door to the Hokage's main office. Naruto sat down behind the large desk and steepled his fingers. He fixed them both with a stare for a few minutes before he spoke. "What happened?" Both of them opened their mouths to speak at once. "Neji."

"I was searching for the girl and I felt a strange charka signature. I felt Sauske's as well so I investigated. I went into the hotel and when I decided to use the byakkugan to search any further. I through the walls both Sauske and the woman talking. They each managed to get each other irate, and that is when I decided to start moving up into the room. I was two floors below them when Sauske got… let's say too close for comfort. The woman leaned back, but then he said something and managed to get her even angrier than before. She slapped him and focused charka into her hand. Sauske responded with punching her in the stomach, sending her back a little ways. He picked her up, but somehow…" Neji's face became confused. "She moved through his arms or somehow he loosened his hold on her so she could get away. She punched and kicked him. I came into the room silently as she said 'I would never betray them, him, or even you!' I pinched one of her nerves and she fell unconscious. You can guess the rest." Neji said. He gave Naruto the face that asked… told him he wanted answers.

Naruto was not prepared to give any. "Thank you Neji. I assure you, you and everyone else will get as much of this story as I will be able to tell you tomorrow. Thank you for your help and patience. You may go, I need a word alone with Sauske." Neji nodded and left. Naruto turned his piercing gaze to Sauske. "What did you say to her?"

Sauske snorted and turned away. "Nothing…" he muttered.

"That's not going to work this time, Sauske." Naruto said sternly. "I want to know what you said to her, whether it be from your mouth or someone else's. But let me tell you this, if I have to get the information from someone else and what you said was something serious, it will not go well for you." He chose his words carefully, but still allowed the finality of the threat to sink in.

Sauske sighed. "Fine. I asked her whom she sent the information to. I implied heavily that she betrayed Gaara and the others and that's when she went off on me."

Naruto wasn't completely satisfied, but he could practically see the conversation in his head. He knew how cruel Sauske could be and he was unhappy that it might stop Takira from staying. "Fine. Do not speak with her, look at her, or even be in the same room as her unless me, Sakura, Hinata, or Neji are in the same room." He named the people who he trusted most in a situation like that.

Sauske 'hned', but didn't reply. Naruto took that as an agreement.



Gaara tiredly signed the last of his paperwork. He hadn't been sleeping… well, meditating well lately. He worried constantly not that Takira would sell him out, but if the Akatusuki or worse the Sound Village had taken her.

After Orochimaru's demise, the Sound Village changed drastically. Kabuto took the main position of power, but several who thought themselves as Orochimaru's most loyal follower took positions of power and believed himself or herself higher than everyone. The Sound Village became predictable, making random attacks when those leaders decided to.

Unfortunately, when they organized themselves enough for Kabuto to give directions, they were a pretty strong force and should have been reckoned with it. Kabuto himself would torture prisoners to an extreme level. Something was not right in his head and Takira would most certainly suffer terribly if she were to be captured. At least Itachi (who had taken leadership after Pein had died) killed people quickly, keeping them around for weeks wasn't really his style.

Temari and Kankuro had been pretty silent for the past month and a half, only recently having taken up arguing again, mostly over the poor quality of the food. Gaara sighed and rubbed his temples.

**You miss her. You miss her. **Sang the insane little raccoon in his head.

That was another thing that caused insomnia like he hadn't experienced since he was a teenager was the raccoon. Every moment he let down his guard, it was back singing at him and yelling at him. It was maddening.

**You miss her. You miss her.**

_Shut it, fox. I do not._

**Yes you doooooo! **It sang.

_How the hell would you know? _Gaara snapped irritably.

**Ignoring the fact that I'm INSIDE YOUR HEAD! How about the fact that you gave up after a week trying to tell me that you were worried she would sell you out? And the fact that you are now worrying about who captures her? And that you've sent Kim and Miro out searching for her.**

Gaara ground his teeth. He knew the raccoon was right, but there was no way in heaven or hell that he was going admit it. He heard the call of an eagle and automatically went for the window. He and Naruto conveyed messages often, so he and Falks were familiar. He stuck an arm out into the sandstorm, glad of the fact that he had enough charka to maintain his sand armor when the talons of the bird latched onto him.

He pulled the bird into the room and gave it a treat before unrolling the scrolls. Naruto, surprisingly was one to send excruciatingly long messages, so when he saw the single lonely on the page, his eyes widened. When he actually read the words, his eyes turned to saucers and both he and Shukkaku trembled mentally with excitement.

_Takira's here._

**A/N: Yay! Stuff is gonna happen! What stuff… not telling. All shall feel the might of me insane gerbil George. Even me… damn it. Review.**


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Yup….**

**Disclaimer: Seriously, there has to be a Foamy the Squirrel thing for this.**

Takira sat cross-legged with her eyes closed. The combined amount of charka pressure in the room was nearly intoxicating. No one was trying to hide it, so if she opened her eyes, they would each be covered in their own blue or green haze. She clenched her teeth in frustration.

She had been there for hours. Night had been driven away and the sunlight of noon mocked her from the high windows. The room was too bright and she took weak right then to fight her way out. She couldn't phase into the floors or walls, they were coated with some sort of paint. They had obviously been preparing for her arrival for quiet some time. Taking a deep breath, she willed away her Boushi no Senro and opened her eyes to glare at the small crowd staring at her as if she were some sort of circus show.

"Takira, please. Let us talk to you." Naruto walked forward only to be driven back by a dim purple light. The half-dome around Takira shimmered, and then went back to its invisible state.

"You are speaking to me just fine, from there, Hokage-sama." She responded shortly.

Naruto seemed a little taken aback by her attitude. "Come on, we just want to know why you left…"

"I have no intention of telling you, Naruto. Least ways not with so many _people _around." Without realizing it, Takira wrapped her arms tighter about herself.

Naruto shared glances with the rest of the ninja. Takira looked outside. It would be at least another hour before she could bust out of there.

"Takira, will you please stay here, if only for a little while."

Takira decided to scare them. She activated her Senro no Boushi again. She did a quick count and added some things up in her head. When she was done, she closed her teal eyes and when she opened them again, they were purple. "Two hundred and thirty seven."

"Huh?" Naruto turned back to her and cocked his head.

"There are two hundred and thirty seven ways to kill all thirteen of you. If I counted the unborn baby it would be Two hundred and forty. Fortunately for you, I would never kill something that has had no chance to defend itself and that I really do not kill people needlessly." She said emotionlessly. She stared at a spot between the Hokage's robe and the man's who captured her leg.

Some twitched and others stared blankly. They were good. The last time she had been to Konoha, at least three people had freaked out when she made that comment. Naruto stared disapprovingly at her. She shrugged.

"What? I'm being honest. And though I won't kill you, Hokage-sama, you are far too trusting. There three hundred and twenty two ways I could knock all of you out right now, which you haven't protected yourself for at all."

Some tensed, but most were already mentally checking themselves for openings. Naruto frowned. "Fine. You can speak with us when Gaara gets here."

"Which is now." Takira said emotionlessly. In reality, her heart was beating so rapidly that her chest hurt and she and her demon were mentally cursing at each other as loud as they could.

Naruto's face remained calm. "Your Senro no Boushi?"

"Naturally. You're catching on." Takira looked outside again. _Damn! It's too soon… Gaara knows how to beat me…_

**Ha! Beat that!**

_I'll have to._

**Give in to it young one, it's much more fun.**

_Give in to what? Demon, you will be silent or I will personally knock myself out._

**That's no fun for me.**

_Duh._

**But neither is watching you mess up your life. For the next eight decades or so, your life is my life.**

_Prepare yourself to be bored._

**Witch.**



Gaara slowed for his siblings. This was something he would normally never do, but he did not want to appear too eager.

"So, Gaara…" Temari started.

"Yes?" he raised a nonexistent eyebrow.

"Well…"

"Why the heck to you have that giant bird on your shoulder?" Kankuro blurted.

Gaara looked up at Falks. He was truly a stunning bird, his bronze plumage splattered across his chest. His bright golden eye glared out at the world, even with Gaara. Truly there was no creature alive that it did not seem to turn its beak up at.

"He is Naruto's pet. How am I to know the enterworkings of his mind when I cannot his owner?" He replied shortly.

"Oh." His siblings said in unison.

They continued on in silence. The Hokage building came into sight. Gaara's heart started to beat faster. They were at the door. Gaara was preparing himself for what Shukkaku would no doubtabley say. Neji greeted them and lead them to the main room.

Takira sat, on a mat, with her back against the wall. Her head was down and her eyes closed, and she gave no indication of seeing the newcomers. Gaara bit back the urge to growl in annoyance.

The group of people, all standing in their little niches, were talking amongst themselves, and paying no mind to the apparently sleeping girl. He had the feeling that they had all been there for a while and were most likely only staying on the off chance they might learn something about the woman. Temari and Kankuro stopped when they drew level with the group, but Gaara kept walking until he was level with Naruto. Falks jumped off of his shoulder.

Naruto smiled weakly at his friend. "She's not being very cooperative."

They continued to talk for a few minutes, trying to bring together ways to get her to loose at least enough animosity that she wouldn't attack. After several minutes, and rather violent threats from Gaara, Sakura stopped them.

"Guys! Look at Falks!" Everyone's neck's craned to the sky, but they saw only blank ceiling. Gaara was first to look at Sakura's pointing finger.

Falks was on the ground, looking slightly awkward, not having anything for his talons to grab onto. His wings was slightly bent and inclined towards his chest, while his head was bobbed in something of a half-bow. It was quite extraordinary, but what was even more extraordinary was that this was not a random spot he was bowing at. It was Takira.

**A/N: Any guesses as to why? Review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Yeah I know you all have been waiting for a while to get this chapter, but it was hard to write and my teachers enjoy making my misery extend to home. **

**Anyway, if you read the book Peeps by Scott Westerfield (or just take some sort of biology) you'll know what I mean in the story when I say "basic instinct." Short version, somewhere along the line in our monkey ancestry, our monkey grandfathers learned something. RUN AWAY WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO GET EATEN! Because, as we all know, if we don't run away, those monkeys tend to not evolve. **

**Thinking Demon talking/thinking**

_**Demon and Human thinking at the same time.**_

**Disclaimer: You can't fake having short-term memory loss!**

"Well, you're a pretty bird, aren't you?" Takira said. She stretched out an arm and Falks jumped up out of his mini bow and jumped to her arm, causing pinpricks of blood to show where his talons had dug into her skin. She stroked his plumage with a curled finger. "Hmm… a hawk… nice coloring, healthy and in the prime of life. What a nice bird." He cooed gently to it. Meanwhile, all eyes were on her. She turned her sharp gaze to them. "What? Can't I appreciate a fine bird when I see it?"

"Um… you don't seem the type to like birds… or anything…" Kankuro offered.

Takira smirked. "Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I don't like anything. And I happen to like birds quite a lot."

Naruto fidgeted, ready to get back on track. "Takira, will you just join us Kages in the other room?" He felt Gaara looking at him questioningly, but kept his eyes on the woman in front of them, ready for some kind of trick.

Takira appeared to ignore him for a moment. She curled her arm so that Falks was facing her. "What do you think?"

Surprisingly enough, the bird looked into her eyes. She nodded every few seconds, as if to show that she was listening. Falk's beak clacked a few times, but for the most part, he stayed silent and still. Takira 'hmed' her responses every couple of seconds. Naruto wondered if she had finally lost her mind.

She stood, careful of the bird. He moved in a skip, hop to her shoulder, his body twice the size of her head. She nodded curtly at them. "Fine. Naruto, you've got a pretty wise hawk on your hands." Falks squawked in agreement.

Naruto motioned to the adjoining office. Takira moved in front of him and Gaara behind her. Naruto turned to his friends. "Thank you for your patience during these last few… annoying hours. I have an idea that soon everything will be made crystal clear." (A/N: Shudders as I write this. He sounds like a cult leader.) With that, Naruto entered the office.



Takira was extremely nervous with Gaara in the same room as her, though she had no idea why. Okay, _she _didn't, but her demon did. Mental images that would scar young children for life were flitting unbidden through her head.

Gaara sat, hands folded in a chair, setting his gourd down. She followed suit apprehensively. Usually she could read people like books, but Gaara's face was so impassive that she worried if he might attempt to kill her if she made one wrong move, which like as not he would do with anybody. Still, it unnerved her and she ignored her human's basic instinct of a trapped animal to get as far as possible from the trap and stayed where she was. She fidgeted her hands as she sat down and Falks nipped her ear for moving her shoulder. She shrugged and he flew to sit on a stand.

Naruto came in a few minutes later and sat behind his desk. "Well?" Takira raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to actually ask the question she knew was running through his mind, and probably everyone else's out in the other room. Naruto sighed, as if just realizing that she wasn't going to make extracting information from her easy. "We're not stupid Takira…" He trailed off, hoping she would fill in the spaces.

"That remains to be seen." Takira said, smirking.

A moment later she grunted in pain. She tried to phase through whatever was holding her to the wall, but couldn't. She glared at Gaara, who smirked in answer. Growling, she wrenched an arm free, but it was quickly swallowed again. She grit her teeth in frustration.

"Tell us." He stated simply.

"Fine. I have a demon. Happy?" She spat.

"For now." Gaara let her down.

She stayed on the floor; her body tired and she just didn't even have the willpower to force herself up. For once, she wanted to just sit down, give up, and do whatever the hell she wanted. "Yeah, yeah. Now you know why the Akatusuki are after me and you can't be mad at me for leaving. I left for your own good."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Like we haven't heard that excuse before." He glanced at Gaara and Takira saw a strange look cross his eyes. She could read it as… perhaps weariness, dissatisfaction or a combination of the two. "I know that you didn't know me that well, and I sure as hell didn't know you, but it seemed to me that everyone who did meet you and got to know you for more than a few hours, really liked you. You know that we are all completely capable of protecting ourselves…"

"And what if you weren't?" Takira snapped, rising to her feet. "What if they came and you couldn't defend yourselves? I should just let you die for the sake of being friends with me?"

Naruto and Gaara glanced at each other, and said in unison, "Yes."

Takira's eyes widened. She hadn't expected that answer. She tried to step back, but she met wall. _What the hell? These guys are supposed to agree with me, hate my guts. Refuse to even look at me!_

_**And yet they don't.**_

**A/N: I tried as hard as I could to make this longer, and the first version was a half a page shorter, so deal with it. Review and I will tell you my government conspiracy theory. **


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: (Mopes around because of lack of reviews for last chapter.)**

**Naruto: Nice, real nice. Now she's going to write a one-shot yaoi scene between Orochimaru and Sauske.**

**Orochimaru: You're gonna be my bitch, boy!**

**Sauske: NO!!! For the love of god, people, review!**

**Disclaimer: (Starts talking in fake smart-person accent) This is **_**fan**_**fiction. I therefore, must be a fan. Don't you agree?**

Takira looked around the room with amazement, trapped in some sort of awe. Nartuo and the others had given her a small guest room that was right outside to where Naruto and Sakura's personal home began. (A/N: remember, the Hokage's family's personal home is in the Hokage tower) She was a few rooms down from where the Sand sibling slept (or so she thought) and moments from escape.

Still, she didn't run to the window and jump the two stories to the soft ground below. She didn't phase through the floor. She didn't call the shadows to her, to create a portal to some random place. It would ruin the wooden floor. She sat on the bed and wrung her hands.

_Demon? _Her mind called out tentatively.

**Child. **Takira chose to ignore the small trace of amusement she could hear in the demon's voice.

_Why don't they hate me? Why don't they see me as a burden? Even my own family thought of me as a problem that needed to be taken care of._

**Child, listen this time when I tell you about your family. **The demon said sternly.

_So demons can be serious. _Takira kept that thought to herself.

**Your family bound me to you in hopes of 'creating' a Kehkki genkai for your family. Humans. Are. Morons. **The demon said this slowly, as if Takira wouldn't understand otherwise. **When that didn't work and I continued to grow inside of you, they became of afraid. And what do humans do when they are afraid?**

_They destroy the thing they fear. _Takira recited this from memory like a bored child talking to a teacher.

**Correct. **

_But my family didn't kill me. Didn't even try. _Takira protested weakly. She knew exactly where this was going, and knew the outcome of the argument, but couldn't stop herself from contradicting the demon.

**That's because they were cowards with no real talent and no money to hire someone to do it. So they waited for us to die.**

Takira sighed heavily and lay back in the bed. She ran her finger through her hair and rubbed the space between her eyes. She wasn't getting back to where she wanted to. _So why don't __**they **__fear me. They're human too… most of them, anyway._

**Maybe that's why they don't feel threatened by you. Remember, you came from that tiny little water town. This is the big city; they've dealt with stuff like me before. Stuff like _us _before. They know what to do if we get out of control and that gives them that little blanket of security all you humans seem so fond of.**

_You won't get out of control._ Takira thought vehemently.

**I know, I know.**

Takira decided to get off that topic. _I wonder if that Naara kid figured it out yet._

**Probably. The Naara clan's supposed to be pretty smart.**

_Yeah. Guess I'll have to tell him eventually._

**Why don't you get to sleep?** The demon said in a motherly-way.

_Not tired. _Takira said shortly.

**Then go to the roof.**

Takira frowned. _The roof? Why…_

**Just go. **The demon within her said tiredly and slightly impatiently.

Takira, knowing that the conversation was over, sighed and rolled out of bed. She went up to the roof through her window and climbing the side of the building using charka. It was night and she had plenty of it, so she could barely call it a waste. When she got up to the roof, she rubbed the sides of her arms. It wasn't that she was cold, but her robes were back in her room and she wasn't used to being so exposed.

She took and unconscious step forward and with a crunch she knew why the demon wanted her up there. There was a thin amount of sand scattered on the roof. She walked until she came to the spire, and circled around it. Gaara was sitting with his back against the spire, arms crossed. Seafoam green eyes glared at her heatedly.

_Demon, you are so dead. _Takira growled to the back of her mind.

Takira mentally sighed as she sat down across from Gaara, meeting his stare but secretly wanting to turn away. "Gaara, I want you to know that I would _never_ betray you or your family."

Gaara was silent for long, uncomfortable minutes. Takira had to keep herself from fidgeting uncomfortably. Finally, he blinked slowly. "I don't care. Leave." He desperately wanted to say 'or I'll kill you', but he didn't and found that once he passed that one-second of indecision that he could not say it afterward.

Takira knew her eyes had flashed in anger, but she kept her voice low and level. "Gaara…" she started, and then faltered. She had absolutely no idea what to say. She had apologized, told him that she hadn't betrayed him, and now there was nothing for her to do except wait and hope he accepted her apology. She stood and brushed a few clinging bit of sand. "I guess I'll just go." She said quietly. She stood and made to move forward… and nearly fell flat on her face. She immediately gained back her balance and looked down. Sand was holding her in place halfway up to her knee. She turned back to Gaara and raised an eyebrow. "Or I could stay." She said humorously.

Gaara frowned and a look of extreme concentration came over his face. Reluctantly, the sand pulled away from Takira. She nodded and started to leave again and… her butt fell on the floor. She looked back at Gaara, but he was staring at her emotionlessly.

**Haha, look who fell on her butt.** The demon's voice sounded strange; a grown woman talking like a baby was not something you heard every day.

_Demon, let me up. _Takira growled warningly in her head.

**No. **The demon said stubbornly, retreating from Takira's wrath into the back of their mind.

Takira sighed and looked at Gaara apologetically. "It seems my demon doesn't want me to leave."

Gaara nodded and for a fleeting moment looked sympathetic before his face turned back to its placid normalness- or maybe it hadn't changed at all and Takira was just getting better at reading him. "Understood. I've been trying to leave for the past five minutes."

It was then that Takira noticed a thin crust of sand circling Garra. His pants legs was pulled taunt where the sand was touching. She laughed. And laughed. And laughed. She truly hadn't found so much hilarity in a single thing in weeks, months if you didn't count the two weeks she spent with the Sand siblings.

When she wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, she looked back at Gaara's slightly annoyed face. "My demon has never been so determined to get me to do something."

Gaara nodded curtly. "My demon had never wanted to do anything… of this nature."

Takira cocked hr head, interested. "Really? What has it wanted you to do before?"

"Murder."

Takira was surprised. Normally when she asked someone about killing others, they cringed or at least took awhile to answer. Gaara had said it so emotionlessly… it vaguely reminded Takira of her old self. Except it hadn't been murder (at least not Gaara's kind) that occupied her thoughts…

_Stop that._

**What? **The demon said half-playfully and half-annoyed.

_Bringing up disturbing memories. _

Takira noticed that Gaara was no longer staring into space, but at her. She felt her face burning slightly, but she was sure that it was too dark for him to see her blush. "Umm… whose your demon?" The question was both Takira's and the demon's, who was now telling her yet _again_ that she knew almost all of the important demons before she had been sealed inside her.

A low growl escaped Gaara's throat. "My demon was the Shukkaku, the one tailed raccoon."

"The Shukkaku, eh? He was one crazy raccoon." Takira clamped her hands over her mouth, even though she knew that Gaara couldn't think it was her who said it when her voice was so different.

"Hey! I resent that!" The raucous voice of the Shukkakurang through the night, making the two adults flinch.

"Is that you, Shu-koco?" The woman's voice filtered out through Takira's laced fingers.

Both Gaara and Takira took a deep breath and fought for control over their demons. Takira, whose demon was much more submissive, quickly got over it and Gaara followed soon after through sheer willpower.

"So umm…." Takira tried to lift a leg, but her own shadow kept her in place. "I heard from Temari that your demon was extracted."

"It was, but a small part of me held onto childhood memories and it took from in Shukkaku's personality. So it is not demon so much as it is a subconscious personality. Though I have to say, it does give some great advice with its eons of experience." He gritted the last part out. Gaara's quick explanation said he really did not like the choice of topic.

Takira nodded. "My demon…" She faltered. "My demon is stubborn, arrogant, and blunt. She has driven away my family and anyone close to me purposely. But she has saved me from myself a few times. I guess we all have to be grateful for small miracles."

Gaara's green eyes met her dark purple ones. "Who is your demon?"

Takira bit her lip and a small trail of sweat ran down the side of her face. She fidgeted and breathed out. She closed her eyes. "My demon is…"(A/N: sooooo tempted to end it here, but since you all have been semi-good…)

She paused, unsure if she should say it. Gaara's eyes silently encouraged her, while his face remained indifferent.

"My demon is named Myobi."

**A/N: You love me, I know it. If you all want, there is a picture of Takira on my homepage, even though it is teensy tiny. That's the color of her charka as well. The picture will stay up until I update my Inuyasha (which is really a Sesshomaru) fic, then I have to put my other character, Tsukiko up.**

**For those of you who like my writing and would like to take a vacation from funny to dark and deep, look at my profile page in a few days and check out a new one-shot that I am making called 'My Hiate'. For those of you who have your minds in the gutter of some other unmentionable place (ehem.. coughcough Darkride...) you might want to stay far away from the fic.**


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: My computer is fucked up again. Why does this keep happening to me???!!!!**

**Couldn't help but add in "The Talk". Sorry, but I'm in a happy mood. No dark broodings here.**

**After the last partition, in case you slow people can't tell, they are in Gaara's mind while he is asleep and since they are not out in the physical world, they can take whatever form they want. Or at least that is how it works in my odd mind.**

**Disclaimer: hahaha… oh, sorry, I'm watching Family Guy. And in the words of Stewie, "No! I said Grape Juice!"**

**The four-tailed raven. **Shukkau chuckled. **I knew I liked this girl. **

_Shut it, demon. You've been repeating yourself all night. _Gaara thought vehemently.

He was lying down in the large guest bed, above the soft green and white bedspread and sheets. His gourd was in the corner, the sand shifting slightly every now and then as his thoughts swirled around in his seemingly too small of a head. Through the door, there was a small living space he and his siblings shared, furnished with a comfortable couch, a coffee table and a few pictures on the wall. In that room, two more doors lead to Temari's and Kankuro's private guest rooms.

Shukkaku was continuously gabbing on and on about Myobi and her supposed great feats. He talked about her almost as much as he talked about himself, which was saying something. Gaara expected more than half of what the demon said to be idle gossip that it had heard during its time roaming the world freely.

_Why was Takira so apprehensive in telling me? And why did she walk off afterward? _Gaara asked more to himself than the demon.

**Maybe it was the death glare you were giving her? **Shukkaku offered.

_I wasn't giving her a death glare. _Gaara said quickly.

**Yeah, and the frown line on your forehead was so very attractive that you were just inviting her to kiss you.**

_I would appreciate it if you didn't taint my virgin mind with those images._ Gaara growled, hoping the sudden out of character statement of his sexuality would catch the demon off guard and shut him up. He was wrong.

**And that's another thing! Why are you still a virgin? I haven't gotten laid in over two decades!** The Shukkaku ranted, chuckling at Gaara's mounting frustration while sounding like an old grandfather lecturing his grandson. 

_Demon, can we focus on the situation at hand?_

**Certainly! I happen to know there is a certain club down the street…**

_Demon!_

_**Really, Shukkau, I thought you had more class than that. **_A smooth and deep woman's voice entered Garra's head and had he not recognized it as the voice coming out of Takira on the roof, he would have thought he was going quite mad.

_Demon, what are you doing here? _Gaara growled out warningly.

**Well, you see, your mother was a wrathful bitch… **Shukkau's deep bass could be heard in his mind.

_Silence, Shukkau! Myobi, why are you not with Takira?_

_**She's asleep. I'm allowed to wander around for a while she's unconscious so she doesn't get insomnia. She's a growing girl, and needs her rest. I'm not going to take form out here, if you don't mind, young one. I'm far too big to stay in such a small place and even if I used my human form, poor Takira would wake up exhausted in the morning. **_The demon did not seem completely concerned for her holder's welfare, but it was said more caringly that any of the other demons (or humans, for that matter) that Gaara had faced.

_And Takira foolishly trusts you? _Gaara asked.

_**As long as I don't kill anyone, she lets me out at night to spy or to make sure the Akatusuki doesn't come after her… of course, you wouldn't let that happen, would you, Kazekage? **_The demon's deep yet cool voice radiated some amusement.

_Do not find hilarity in me, demon. _Gaara said shortly.

**Yes, he doesn't like that, Myobi. **Shukaku laughed.

_**Yes, I have apparently forgotten how short tempered some humans can be. Truly I was blessed with a girl who only shoots my head off after every other sentence I say. **_Myobi said, her amusement evidently growing.

_If you two would cease to plague my mind, I will be going to sleep. _Gaara said shortly, and rolled over, pushing the two voices to the back of his mind, thinking that Myobi would leave as he entered his meditative state.



Deep purple was the landscape, magenta tendrils of smoke reaching up from the bowels like ghost's fingers. The 'walls' rolled like lava. Every few minutes, there was a small explosion of different lights somewhere in the background; like a distant firework.

An obese man sat India style and waited. His skin was slightly tanned, and brown ragged curls fell over his shoulders. He clacked his strong jaws together and placed his front hands on his thighs, testing out each of his fingers as if they were new to him. A few second later, a woman sat across from him. She was pale and had long dark tresses that swirled around her face (like Ares out of Sinbad). She wore expensive clothes that were layered in many blue and gray colors. Her skin was stretched across her arms and fingers, as well as most likely her legs and feet. Being a bird demon, she had no fangs. She would have been quite pretty if not for the mischievous look in her eyes. But as far as demons went, she was actually quite beautiful.

She looked around her, bored. "Nice digs." She said, watching as the interior rolled sickeningly. "Still, I like my comfort at home. You'll have to visit sometime."

The man gave a resounding chuckle. "Glad to."

The woman fixed him with a glare. "If you do anything to her mind, I'll remove you from this boy, castrate you, and leave you out for the birds to peck." She said this quietly and dangerously.

"Well at least we know where that girl gets her fiest." Shukkaku muttered.

The woman lazily plucked a strand of hair from her head. It quickly turned into a jet-black feather. She threw it at the demon across from her, hitting his cheek. A thin line of blood appeared before slowly dribbling down to one of his three wobbly chins. "You got that right, buster." She flashed a smile at him and held up a hand. Her fingernails turned black and grew an inch, shaping to sharp points at the ends.

Shukkaku held up a hand, signaling for peace. "We're not here to threaten each other, we're here to talk about our stubborn masters."

Myobi nodded and folded her hands in her lap. "And what did you want to talk about?" she asked coyly, the glint in her eye telling Shukkaku that she knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

Shukkaku grinned like the insane raccoon he was. "I don't know about you, but I'd say my boy needs a little action."

Myobi pulled a face, disgusted at the raccoon's blatant, tactless statement. "Well, I'll say my girl needs some _companionship_."

Shukkau chuckled and stretched out a paw-like hand. "So lets get these two together for some fun!"

"_Clean_ fun." Myobi said, taking his hand with her claw-like one.

**A/N: Mwhahaha. You all know that you think that Shukkau is sick and wrong, but hey, I couldn't resist.**


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N: Monkeys shall rule the world! Wait- what? It already happened? Where was I for this? I'm not a monkey! Fuck you!**

**Disclaimer: Seriously… what are you going to do? You don't know me and you don't know where I live… oh right. You'll delete my account… I know that that would make some fans of One Piece very happy, but it would make fans of Naruto, Inuyasha and Trinity Blood mad… at me…. (gulp).**

Naruto's nose twitched. Sweet smells of pancakes reached his senses, waking him. Grinning like a young child, he ran down the steps with his pants from the day before and the white tank top he kept under his clothes. On the small table meant for two people, a steaming breakfast of pancakes lay, complete with crispy bacon and orange juice, tea, and water. The flowers were freshened and the water sparkling, clear of all debris.

He poked his head in the kitchen, and found it sparkling clean, and devoid of a certain pink haired fiancée of his. He turned back to the table and found on the chair that was usually his. There was a small white card sticking up from between green cushion and the wood of the chair. He reached for it and read the note.

_Sakura told me you don't eat together much._

_Enjoy a breakfast alone as an engaged couple._

Naruto allowed a small smile to creep across his face. _Takira, you may not acknowledge it, but you are one great friend._

"Naruto? What's that smell?" Sakura came down the stairs, her head cocked prettily and tying the rose colored robe around her waist, over her white nightdress.

Naruto grinned and stuck out a thumb. "Breakfast!"

They sat and Sakura took a bite. Her eyes widened and she sipped some of the red tea. Her eyes widened more and she looked at Nartuo in amazement. Naruto put a bite in his mouth. It was light and fluffy and buttery and sweet… and hot! He quickly grabbed his tea and gulped it down, taking in the sweet flavor that complimented the syrup nicely.

"Naruto… you made this?" Sakura asked.

"N…"

"Hey, I'm coming in, lovebirds! Make yourself decent!" Takira's voice rang out, causing both Sakura and Naruto to blush. Takira marched into the room. She seemed to appraise the breakfast and smiled. "Hey… Naruto, I didn't know you were such a good cook. How nice of you to do this for Sakura." Her act was pretty good. At least, good enough to fool Sakura.

"I know! I came down here this morning and the flowers were trimmed and watered and all of the food was set out! It was so romantic." Sakura beamed at Naruto, who smiled weakly back.

"Wow, Naruto. You're romantic… it's almost enough to make me want to gag." Takira said, scrunching her nose cutely and walking into the kitchen. "Sakura, do you mind if I borrow a pot? I'll make the Sand sibling breakfast."

Sakura nodded and looked around Naruto's head. "Yes, right in the cabinet there should be a pot big enough."

"I see it." Takira grabbed the pot and came back out to the little dining area. She bowed to Sakura. "Thank you. I'll see you later." She turned on her heel and bowed to Naruto. "Have a good breakfast with your fiancée, Hokage." She said, raising her head and winking to Naruto.

He grinned widely. "Same to you, Takira! Will you please make sure Gaara eats today? Thanks." He said, his last word holding meaning.

When Takira haf gone completely through the floor, Sakura gave her husband the if-you-don-not-tell-me-the-truth-I-am-going-to-rip-off-an-important-piece-of-your-anatomy look. "What was that about?"

Naruto grinned and stuck another mouthful of pancake into his gob before saying with his mouth full of food, "Takira's much nicer than you think."



Gaara sensed someone in his room. Neither Temari nor Kankuro would invade his privacy so. He immediately snapped out of his meditative sleep and rolled out of bed, snapping out a kunai while reaching for his gourd. His keen eyes flicked left and right, searching for a hidden trap or enemy ninja. He looked to places he expected someone to hide, so he was quite startled when he heard someone clear their throat.

Takira stood, back leaned against the doorway and her arms crossed over her chest, smirking at him slightly (though he could have sworn he detected something of a warmer, friendlier smile behind it). She twitched her head slightly in the direction of the shared living room. "Come on, I may not be from around here but I'm sure in a city as big as this I could find a soup kitchen." She turned around to walk out the door.

Gaara nodded and stood up straight, making to follow her. A sudden, unbidden thought came to the forefront of his mind. Before he had time to process what he was thinking, he said her name. "Takira."

Takira turned around. "Yeah?" She asked, her eyes widening slightly as they processed the new information of her surroundings. (A/N: Yes, I am smart enough to know how eyes work. I'm not completely stupid.)

_Her eyes…_ Gaara though, noticing for the first time. They had pupils, or at least, discernible ones. Her dark purple bordering on black eyes seemed to be more human. He wondered why.

Shukkau's voice sounded like he was reading a text book. **When a demon and their human have true inner peace, the human tends to take on a more human appearance. Before, Takira and Myobi worked and even talked together, so she did not have any markings that Myobi usually gives her human counterpart, but Takira kept her a secret. Not even Taro knew about Myobi, so the last piece of their inner harmony was gone. Because she told you, she was able to recognize Myobi as a major part of her life and peace returned. If Naruto allowed Kyuubi to speak to him more often, his whiskers would retract. Of course, Kyuubi cannot be trusted and would most likely kill everyone around him. You know, if you were more sociable with me, I would not go crazy and kill everyone close to you. Then you'd look nicer for your girl.**

_She's not my girl!_ Gaara's thoughts said loudly.

**Uh… Gaara?**

_What? _Gaara's mind snarled angrily.

**Your girl is looking at you.**

_She's not my… what?_

Gaara looked up and met Takira's newly pupiled eyes. She was indeed looking at him. She looked as if she thought he had gone quite mad, which was not too far off from the truth.

"Gaara… are you all right?" She asked uncertainly.

"Yes." He said. "You have pupils."

Takira frowned and cocked her head. "Ï do?" She her face took on an absorbed look and Gaara knew Myobi was talking to her. "Oh, I suppose I do." She shrugged. "I had not noticed. Is that all?"

Gaara hesitated. "You… ran away from me last night. I'm sorry if I gave you a… 'Death glare'."

**Success! The blockhead admits defeat!**

Takira took a step towards Gaara, frowning. She reached out a hand, and surprisingly, the sand let it through so she could place it on his forehead. "Dude, are you sure you are all right?"

"Yes." Gaara said quietly, hoping she would remove her hand if he gave an answer. "I wanted to make sure my silence did not offend you."

Takira pulled her hand away. Gaara thanked the gods, for Shukkaku filled his brain with images involving Takira wearing less and less clothes. "That's it. You get back into bed. I'll bring food in to you."

"I'm fine." Gaara said stonily, a little annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Nope." Takira declared, pushing him gently back into the room. "Back into bed." She said, slamming the door in his face.

When he heard her footsteps get a little quieter, he tried opening the door. It would not budge. He quickly looked down and saw a shadow holding the door shut. Sighing, but smiling slightly, Gaara sat down on his still-made bed. He shook his head and chuckled inside his mind.

_She's the most unorthodox friend I have ever had. But I can not say she is not one of the best._

**A/N: Aw, mushiness. Love the mushiness! That means you too, Darkide! Review!**


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N: ILIKECANDY!**

**FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY ALL MY LETTERS ARE CPAITALIZED, YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK ON A FUCKING CALANDER!**

**Naruto: Sorry about her folks, she gets a little hyper. (Gulp) Oh god! She's got a hamster! Run for your lives!**

**George the Gerbil: Gerbil, here. Not a hamster. Seriously.**

**Disclaimer: I've got a hamster and I am not afraid to use it!**

**George the Gerbil: I'm not a hamster, damn it! I am a gerbil!**

**Me: LOOK! a GERBIIIIIILLLLLLL! WEEEEEEEE!!!!!**

Takira walked quietly through the market. It was a beautiful day, slightly cold but she enjoyed the breeze that blew back her long hair. A small basket was on her arm, filled with groceries and other miscellaneous things she had volunteered to get for Sakura, who was busy with work. Apparently, this village got its fair share of strange-looking people walking through it, because she was delightfully ignored. There were no annoying men that wore makeup, needed the supervision like a toddle or the Uchiha clan symbol. Ah, yes, it was a perfect day that certainly nothing could rui-

**I'm bored. **

_I don't care._

**But I'm boooooooooorreed!**

_Gods above, I am too young to be a mother._

**That's right. So think about it when you and Gaara... you know…**

_Do not! _Takira snapped, cutting off Myobi before she got creative.

**Awww…. You know, people who deny love are so cute. They think that their opinion matters….**

_Myobi, shut up, or I will watch an eight-hour long documentary on the Grass Village._

**But we've seen that twice alreadyyyyyyy! **Myobi whined.

Takira sighed and entered a store. Naruto had lost his favorite windmill shuriken the other day in a fight with the Sound, and Sakura had mentioned something about needing more kunais and charka pills. Takira did not know many of the shops around here, but who could say no to 'voted best weapon store in Leaf Village'? As the small bell above her head rang, her eyes, not needing to adjust to the dim lighting, widened.

She looked around, amazed. Along the crimson painted walls there were long pikes, long staffs (A/N: No, I'm not being repetitive, these are the actual names of the weapons) and swords that looked like they had just jumped out of a fairytale book. Shelves clung to the wall, bearing a burden of many small kunai packs. Above these, there were small charka pillboxes in various sizes according to the urgency. Red boxes for in the midst of battle, and green for 'I accidentally used too much chakra during training now I need to get my sorry butt home' pills.

There was a glass case that lit up eight gleaming katanas, forged in the newest styles. There was a small checkout counter behind the barrels of different weapons. Flanking the counter, were two, ceiling-high displays made of dark wood. Their corners reached out to meld with the corners of the counter, so no one could move to the under tables where the money and access to the glass case lay. (A/N: No cash registers, only under tables with locked boxes.) Takira looked, interested, into the glass cases.

The right one's inside was completely made of plaited metal, buffed and polished until it shone. It looked like an arts and crafts store, with its shelves of different type of boards, leaning slightly down so that one could see. Upon closer inspection, Takira saw that each of the three plaited walls were a little different. One was steel, the other was a different type of steel that could be forged into metal links, and the last was a type of metal that Takira had seen only in Suna, when she was very young, barely a teenager, and only in certain parts. It was strong and rare. Each of the plaits was to be picked out by a customer, and forged to be handed over as armor at a later time (A/N: where do you think the ANBU uniforms come from?).

The other display had little scrolls (though potent, Takira guessed, from the precautions of the locked case and charka sensors) set together like packed sardines through the entire perimeter of the display. In the center, stood an amazingly carved metal staff, and Takira knew instantly what it was. A dragon staff, which could use any element as the user wished and could transform its shape and size to a suitable weapon. It was one of the most powerful weapons in the world, but took years and years to make, and often the forger never saw a dime of his money from the hundreds of thousands that he spent making it. Takira, whose favorite weapon was the staff, did not particularly like this weapon. It was too expensive for her taste, and heavy. To her, cutting her wrist just to change it to a lighter form was not worth the possible result. Not to mention that someone had to keep on buying scrolls and if one ran out in the midst of battle (highly unlikely, because the weapon was so deadly, but still possible) you were screwed. The weapon turned into a piece of useless metal in your hands.

With a small, knowing smile, Takira quietly congratulated herself on not being drawn in by beautiful and showy appearances, and turned her attention back to other parts of the store. Underneath the display case of the counter, there were model poison needles, regular needles, and different scrolls of varying power, the real ones most likely behind the door that Takira knew was behind a red tapestry emblazoned with lions, tigers, (A/N: and bears. No, not really, I just wanted to say that) and other dangerous cats, set in one rectangular, door shaped line. This was set rather close to the display case with the dragon staff. Four dangerous-looking shuriken of different kinds were set in an arc of death above a simple sign. Takira nearly laughed as she read it:

**If you are not a Chunin:**

**Get the hell out of my store and try your luck with **

**Cigarettes. **

"Who's out there?" Came a muffled voice.

A young woman came out from behind the tapestry, heaving a heavy-looking box with her. Setting it down with a "oomph" she straightened her back. Her hair was set in two buns on the side of her head, giving her face a slightly young look. She had warm brown eyes and a cheery smile that made Takira think that someone else had put the sign up. The woman smoothed down some fly-away hairs.

"Good afternoon, my name is TenTen. Welcome to my store."

**A/N: So, what do you think? Very Tenten, I think. Whoooooo!!! Its chapter thirty!!!! I never though I'd make it this far (anime tears)**

**Sauske: Shutup.**

**Me: I still haven't forgotten about that Orochimaru and you yaoi scene.**

**Sauske: er... Review!**


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: Kay….**

**Disclaimer: Hahaha! You'll never get it out of me because George the Hamster gave me a box of sharp, pointy, weapons! Hahahahahahah!**

**George the Hamster who is actually a gerbil out for world conquest: That's it! I told you, I'm a gerbil, damn it! Now you do not get sharp weapons! **

**Me: Damn it. Now I have to say it. I do not own Naruto.**

Takira walked along the road, weighted pleasantly down by the basket on her arm. It was colder out, and the sky overcast. She was lucky it was winter, or the air would have been much more humid. That was one of the reasons she liked the desert villages over the forest ones. She loved the dry air, no matter the temperature.

The dry air was also good for her powers. Less water droplets in the air meant less light reflecting off the water, and allowed a bit more of a darker hue. Not only that, but the dry air allowed the shadows she used to almost float across the surface of the ground.

**You'd better get moving, little one. It'll rain soon and there will be no way to protect that big paper bag of dry rice in the storm.**

As Myobi warned her, there was a loud roar of thunder which shook the very ground they stood on and the rain started falling harder than if they were pebbles. Takira mentally growled. _You couldn't tell me this before? _She asked as she ran under the shelter of a closed store.

**Hey, you're lucky you got anything out of me.**

Takira did not reply. She watched as she winter rain pelted the people in the streets. A group of giggling genin ducked under the same small stand as her, annoying Takira to no end with their quick speaking about some cute boy or another at the Academy. They stayed with her until said boy walked by, holding a single umbrella that they all tried to crowd under, once friends turned to rivals in an instant that the 'cute' boy walked by.

_Thank the gods that I was not like that at their age._

**If you were, maybe you and G…**

_If you say Gaara, I'm buying a tape of the Grass Village economy and then we're watching 'Faces of the Rain Country'._

**Aww…. That movie always makes me cry. **

_Suck it up. Besides, you don't have tear ducts. _

**You're mean.**

_Only when I have to be._

**Sh… Do you hear footsteps?**

_Yeah…_

Takira turned and saw a figure approaching out of the misty rain, too tall to be another Academy boy.



"Gaara? Are you in there?" Sakura's muffled voice could be heard from the other side of the door.

Gaara, opting not to call out, crossed the room with quick, yet calm, strides and opened the door. "Yes."

Sakura, who had long ago stopped being intimidated by Gaara, smiled. "Why don't you go outside? I know you like to walk in the rain, and it's just started."

Gaara considered it. A walk would be nice, and no one would be out at this time. "Fine."

"Oh, and if you see Takira, will you find a way to get her home dry? I sent her out for some rice that will swell in the rain, and she's been out a long time." Sakura said sweetly, before heading down the hall, yelling for Naruto.

_The world is conspiring against me._

**No… it's just us demons, the elements, your friends, your enemies… wow… you're right.**

_Shut up._



_No. Not him. Not now. Please, if there are merciful gods it won't be…_

"Takira? Is that you under the stand?"

_Damn you, merciful gods. _"Nope. I'm a random passerby. Now go away."

Sasuke smirked. "Hn. If you were a random passerby, you wouldn't be telling me to go away. In fact, you should be begging for my company." Sauske stepped towards her.

"You are so full of yourself, Uchiha." Takira said, taking a step back, and inwardly wincing when she realized that she had nowhere to go.

"Come on Takira. I have an umbrella," he shook the item, spraying Takira with water, "let me get you back home. You are staying with Naruto, right?" Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed her arm. "Let's go."

Unfortunately, if Takira tried to slide out of his grasp, water would pour into the basket. So, she walked in stony silence with the Uchiha.



Gaara walked slowly down the wet streets, noting how different the weather in the forest was from the weather in the desert. His sand surrounded him in an almost bubble, the only opening was a crude half-oval so he could see where he was going. It was quite warm and dry inside his sand, though his outer shell of the orb kept melting. He stood still as he heard talking up ahead.

_It wouldn't be enemies. I've seen at least one ANBU officer on ever corner. So who is out in the rain? _Remembering Takira was out here, and sure that he could handle whatever came his way, he stepped forward.

A few minutes later he cam upon Takira and, to his disgust and confusion, Sasuke. Takira, he noticed, looked miserable, while Sasuke looked as impassive as ever. It seemed that they had been thrown together outside their wills and absolutely hated it, though it was obvious that Sasuke had brought the umbrella.

Takira actually smiled when she saw Gaara. When their eyes locked she made a quick flick of her eyes towards Sasuke that could have only meant get-me-out-of-here.

**Your girl is calling for rescue, hero.**

_She's not my girl. And since when have I been a hero?_

**Since Takira decided to be a damsel in distress. Now go save her, Romeo.**

Gaara growled mentally as Shukkaku faded from his mind. He noticed the humans staring at him. He gave a cold glare to Sasuke and a slight nod to Takira before formally addressing them. "Uchiha. Takira."

"Gaara." Sasuke inclined his head.

"Thanks Sasuke, Gaara is going to the same way as me, so bye." Takira quickly ducked out from underneath the umbrella and ran the ten feet separating the men. She ducked under the sand orb. "Thank you." She whispered as they turned away. "Gods above I was sure one of us would not make it home tonight… and not in the pervy sense."

Gaara smirked. "I did not think it was."

Takira gasped and Gaara froze, thinking something was wrong. "Gaara? Gaara of the Desert is actually smirking? All right! I got a facial expression out of you!"

Gaara growled. "In the words of who I believe will soon be the father of my nephew or niece if things keep going the way they are, you are far too troublesome, woman."

Takira gave a half-laugh that she was obviously trying to contain. "Perhaps, but what would I be except troublesome?"

**Say it. Not the woman I love. **Shukkau hissed in his head.

"Not the woman I…"

**Say it.**

"… know."

**A/N: Aw… you though he was going to say love… waaaaayyy too early for that crap. Hmm…. No. I'm not a romance writer.**

**I worked for a long time to get this chapter as a Thanksgiving day present to all of you! I better get good reviews!**

**Happy Thanksgiving!**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N: I'm watching Carlos Mencia and laughing my ass off.**

**God wants you to laugh!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

Takira felt a crushing feeling in her chest. She grit her teeth.

_Myobi, if you do not stop constricting my airwaves just so I think I feel disappointed, I'll…_

**Child… I didn't do that.**

"What?" Takira stopped, and because of that, the back of Gaara's sand orb hit her.

"I said..." Gaara started again, frowning slightly. He had spoken at least a minute ago.

Takira shook her head, blushing slightly. "No, I heard you. Myobi is annoying me."

Gaara nodded his head in a way that Takira knew he was trying to convey sympathy. "When Shukkaku attempts to talk to me, I usually succeed in getting him to retreat into the back of my mind for a few minutes of peace."

Takira stood astounded. "You have so got to teach me that."

**No!!!!**

Gaara nodded his head a little. "I will."

**NOOOOOO!!!**

"She's talking to you again, isn't she?" Gaara asked.

Takira cocked her head. "How'd you know?"

Gaara allowed himself a miniscule smile. "Your eyes narrow when she talks and you just generally seem unhappy of annoyed."

Takira gave a half-laugh. "Heh… and I thought I was good."

They walked in silence for a block or two; it was hard to tell in the pouring rain. Takira sighed slowly and silently so Gaara would not hear. It had not been a terrible day. Tenten had been nice, though she was even girlier than Temari. Suddenly, a thought struck Takira.

"Gaara, weren't you heading somewhere before you saved me from Uchiha Ass?" Takira asked, hoping she had not detained him.

Gaara smirked. "No, Sakura sent me out to find you, actually."

"Thank the gods seven times over, then. If you had not been there I have no doubt the Shithead would get me so turned around that I would never find my way back."

"It appears you curse more often when you are talking about Sauske." Gaara said quietly.

Takira wrinkled her nose. "He's just so… ugh. He actually came up to me and insinuated that I should be falling at his feet for his company. And I was having a good day too."

"Your idea of a good day is cooking everyone breakfast and doing someone else's grocery shopping?" To her surprise, Gaara's voice held a hint of humor.

Takira opened her mouth to object, but she couldn't think of a good enough comeback. Instead she sighed, "Point taken." Gaara made a slight rumbling sound that might have been a held back chuckle. "So what about you, mighty Kazekage? What's your definition of a good day?"



Gaara chuckled as Takira saw his point, though he tried to hold it back out of habit. He looked up, even through the pouring rain; he could see the Hokage's home. They would be there in less than three minutes. Gaara refocused. Takira asked him about his idea of a good day. He paused a moment, considering. Finally, he came up with an answer.

"A day without Temari or Kankuro bothering me. It would also be nice if I could get a fine amount of work done as well. Then I would like to go out for a meal that is actually edible (because Temari can't cook) without the hordes of fawning women far too young or old for me and without angry wives, daughters, and mothers coming after my head for their missing family members." Gaara's speech became more detailed as he realized the wearisome life he lived and the changes he made to it.

As they walked around the Hokage's building, to the back door that led to the home part of the structure, Takira laughed. "Gaara, those are things you don't want. Haven't you ever just wanted to stretch out on a beach?"

"There are no beaches in the desert," Gaara pointed out.

Takira gave him an oh-come-on look that Gaara could hardly understand. "Gaara, there are beaches _everywhere_. Have you never been to an oasis?"

"Temari and Kankuro used to go, as a reward for working hard," Gaara said, thinking back to a time when he was much younger, and often was left alone with his uncle.

Takira's chin stuck out boldly. "That settles it. You are going on a vacation as soon as you get back to Suna."

"I'm on vacation now."

Takira rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "You can be on vacation for a day; it doesn't have to be a week. When we get back, I'll blackmail Temari and Kankuro to drag you out and leave you in an oasis as soon as the three of you get back to Suna." She grinned, as if the thought of blackmail excited her.

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "When we three? Am I to think that you will not be accompanying us?" He seemed to not have been affected, though he waited with bated breath for the answer. The thing was, part of him hoped she would answer one way, and another part of him wished she would answer the other way.

Takira's face suddenly turned crimson. She touched her features lightly when she felt the heat of it. For a moment she seemed to consider doing something; Gaara had a suspicion that it was put a genjutsu mask to cover her face. Gaara had read in a scroll a few weeks after she left, telling him that these masks were one of the first lessons ninja from her village learned. (He refused to acknowledge he had looked it up because he wanted to know more about _her_). Takira appeared to reconsider doing it; it would have been pointless, anyway.

They stopped right outside the Hokage's back door. Gaara saw her throat bulge as Takira swallowed hard. She said shyly, "Well.. I… uh…." Gaara inwardly smirked as she struggled to regain her composure. "I…I was unsure whether or not you would allow me to accompany you back… after…"

Gaara decided to end her humility. "I would be glad if you were to accompany us, Takira. One cannot survive on Temrai's cooking after getting used to eating something edible." He dropped the sand orb and opened the door, ushering her in before himself. Unfortunately (Or fortunately, as Shukkaku seemed to magically return. Takira's clothes were rather wet and clung to her figure that got Shukkaku roaring with laughter as Gaara hid his slight immature embarrassment.), it was raining so hard that they were soaked before they got inside.

Gaara pulled himself back to the conversation to hear Takira give a half-laugh. "Careful, Gaara. I might get used to your jokes."

"What's wrong with that?" Gaara asked, for lack of anything more to say.

Takira grinned at him. "You might catch me off guard next time you threaten to kill me."

They stopped at Gaara's door after climbing a short flight of chairs. Gaara looked at her. "Do I threaten you all that much?"

Takira cocked her head and appeared to be thinking. "Well, if you compare you and me talking about breakfast and me and the leader of the Akatusuki in an interrogation…"

Takira stopped short as she got a mouth full of sand. Spluttering and glaring at the now-(surprisingly)smiling Gaara, she continue to spit out the little grains of sand. (A/N: Which, if you've been to the beach, you know is impossible. Sorry, but I haven't inserted an author's note in awhile. Carry on.) Finally, Gaara moved a finger and all the little grains flew out of her mouth. He was still smiling, though it felt odd.

Takira glanced at the floor. "I'm not cleaning that up, that's Sakura's job." She said, playfully angry. With that, she turned on her heel and marched away.

Gaara chuckled and went into his room. As he sat on his bed, he realized that this had been a good day.

**A/N: Yay! Hope you guys like it, I know it took forever, but during your waiting period, I have had my heating and warm water turned off, my computer crash, and tones of other crap happen. **

**Oh well, happy holidays everyone, I was trying to update all of my fics before Christmas day. Hmm… I'm cutting it close, this is my second update and there are only 52 minute left. (Thinks for a minute) gotta go) (Yelling) George, get me my coffee! And don't give me that decafe shit to keep me from going insane!**

**If you want to make my Christmas, review for me!**


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: Quick question to all of you out there: Is this story moving too fast or too slow? I definitely need some help, people!**

**Disclaimer: If I stop putting interesting stuff here, maybe you'll stop looking at the disclaimer.**

"We'll miss you."

"Take care of yourself!"

"Naara, if you sleep right through the holidays and forget to visit me, I'll come back up here."

"Troublesome woman! You're cracking my ribs!"

"Hehe. Here comes the bride…"

"Kankuro!"

"Ah! Help me, Shikamaru! Your jacked-up on something girl is going to kill me!"

"Better you than me!"

"Hey Takira, next time you're in town, stop by, I'm going to have a new shipment of kites and gliders come in."

"All right, but don't forget that discount you promised me! Hey Hinata, be careful with that kid, dogs are known to have problems in the womb."

"I resent that!"

"Give it a rest, hon. I'll see you, Takira, don't forget to write."

"GAARA. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, BUDDY!"

"Naruto…"

"Inside voice, Naruto."

"Right."

The farewells echoed off in the empty courtyard. Takira actually was able to hug Hinata, TenTen and Sakura. She had grown close to these people over the past week, particularly Hinata. The pregnant woman was already motherly, more so with her. Takira had the suspicion that she had already the gained a mother's ability to look at someone and know that they needed to be mothered. Not that Takira acknowledged her severe lack of mothering over her twenty-year life.

The group returning to Suna stepped outside the gates, accompanied by Naruto, in full Hokage garb. They stopped a yard away from the gates and stood in circle.

"Listen guys, I need to provide you with at least one bodyguard per person, even though I know you guys don't need it," Nartuo started lowly. "Unfortunately, Chougi and Ino are technically still on vacation and if I send them out of the village, I'll have the union on me like ants on a rotten slab of meat."

"Thanks for the visual," Takira muttered.

"Anyway, Hinata's on leave for her pregnancy and Kiba and Neji won't leave her side. Tenten will loose her part-time job at the Academy is she's gone more than three days, Sakura's needed at the hospital. The older jounins are all on missions or retired and it would be foolish to call them back to work and have all that paper work just for a six day trip. That leaves me with just two ninjas (even though one is technically not a ninja) that will have to do the job; Lee and Sasuke."

"Kuso." Takira said under her breath.

Naruto straightened and make a quick movement with his hand. Lee was by his side instantly and Sasuke a second later. Lee looked immensely uncomfortable, having landed right in between Takira and Sasuke. Because he was so tall (puberty had hit him hard at sixteen), the glares that Sasuke and Takire were throwing back and forth had to go through him, instead of over him.

Naruto tried to diffuse the situation. "Now then," he coughed, "Lee can carry someone and Gaara, your sand can carry the rest, so the trip can take a day and a half instead of three."

Takira raised her hand, "I can carry someone."

Six eyebrows went up simultaneously.

Takira shrugged. "What? My demon is a _bird_, after all."

That seemed to explain everything. Takira rolled her eyes as the eyebrows went down and set about taking the skirt that was usually draped over her long black pants and stuffing it into her small bag that had obviously seen her through many travels.

Naruto cleared his throat, "Okay so Takira can carry one of you, and Lee and Sasuke, you can return in three days. Everybody, try and tolerate each other, and don't antagonize each other." Naruto sent a glare Sasuke's way, warning that he had not forgotten the hotel room incident. (A/N: That is not nearly as dirty as it sounded.) "Good luck, everyone." With that Naruto, walked back into the village.

There was a short, awkward silence before Temari took charge, "All right, we should separate into teams. All of you runners, stand there," she pointed, "and all of us will stand here." Lee, Gaara and Takira moved to their assigned spaces. "Okay, now everyone remember the Academy days? Let's pick teams. Lee, you go first"

Lee looked nervously around at the group. He could have Sasuke (which in reality was not terrible but it would be extremely awkward, Kankuro, whose weight would be immensely uncomfortable, or Temari, who had no extreme flaws except for the fact that if Shikamaru ever found out, he would suffer the 'evil eye' for months (and that was only if he stayed far, far away from her.) Lee carefully weighed his options.

"I will carry Kankuro!" He announced at last.

Kankuro shrugged and stepped up to his new partner. (A/N: That is not nearly as gay as it sounded)

"Gaara, you next." Temari said clearly.

Gaara took a quick glance at Takira. She was standing in the usual-relaxed pose. Her left leg was more or less straight, and her right was a few inches in front of her left, bent slightly. One hip was slightly slanted up. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts and her lips were just barely pursed—obviously the was a practiced pose that she was unable to hide her emotions with, or Gaara knew her far too well to have met her two months ago.

He briefly considered taking Temari, to see what Takira's reaction would be when she found out that she was going to carry Sasuke. Luckily enough for Sasuke, Gaara decided it would be better for diplomacy if he did not have a dead Uchiha on his hands.

"Sasuke," he muttered. Sasuke briefly rolled his eyes before walking to the Kazekage.

Takira flashed a quick smile his way before holding out a hand to Temari. "It'll be less awkward with you on my back and Kankuro if you say what I think you are going to say, I will make it so a certain part of yours gets stuck to a certain part of Lee's," Takira said in one breath.

Kankuro, who had opened his mouth a moment earlier, looked dumbstruck as he snapped it shut. Takira smirked at him crouching and motioning for Temari to climb onto her back. The older girl did so awkwardly and a moment later, Takira stood as if she was only holding her pack.

"We ready?"

Gaara gave a curt nod and the sand raised around him and Sasuke, to form a pillar that would glide across the land easily. He could have just transported himself and the Uchiha home, but it was far too unnerving for him to leave the others behind in this dangerous area. Lee grunted slightly as he bent, ducked under Kankluro, and came up on the other side, holding Kankuro's knees as the full-grown man clutched fearfully to is neck.

Gaara started off, moving quickly with Sasuke in tow. Lee kept pace with him, being able to run for miles without becoming tired. Gaara looked back to see how Takira was faring.

The woman took a running start, but was not particularly fast. Gaara began to slow down for her, but a moment later, Takira was soaring overhead. The four men watched in awe-struck amazement as the two women landed out of sight, at least a quarter of a mile away.

Gaara turned to Lee to see wide eyes looking up at him with something akin to fear. He smirked lightly at his friend. "We'd better catch up," he said simply, before moving his sand quickly to catch up with Takira.

**A/N: Hey, how does everyone like Takira's new power? Don't worry, she's not perfect, the soaring thing will be explained later. By the way, can anyone guess who says what at the beginning of the chapter? Just wondering. Review!**


	34. Chapter 34

**A/N: Ugh… so bored… so sick… hate life…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto! All of you reading this right now had better go get tested for dyslexia.**

Hours after the group had left the gates of Konoha, Gaara noticed Takira tiring. He and Lee probably could have gone all night, him not using much chakra and Lee not using any at all, but Takira had to summon up some chakra from the demon inside her; something Gaara knew could be very tiring.

Takira would jump nearly a quarter of a mile ahead of the others and wait for them to catch up, which usually took about one minute. Normally, the amount of chakra she had used would be at least halfway replenished by the time the others caught up to her. However, as the day (and eventually the night) wore on, Gaara remembered a conversation he had had with Kankuro months ago.



_"I trailed Sasuke like you asked, and found him spying on Takira and that white-haired friend of hers, Taro. He was eavesdropping, and I was just close enough to as well."_

_Temari was outraged. "Kankuro! Gaara told you to follow Sasuke, not spy on Takira!"_

_Kankuro turned violet in indignant embarrassment. "Yeah well, I figure he wouldn't be listening if it wasn't something good. So… well I…"_

_Temari opened her mouth to yell again, but Gaara raised a hand, silencing her. "Kankuro, if this is important, tell me. If not, shut up."_

_Kankuro nodded. "Yeah. Well… Taro started talking about Takira, 'n he said that she can't restore her chakra as well as others, even though she got a lot of it."_

_Gaara's senses pricked at this. "So, you are telling me that Takira can't regain her chakra back fast? You're sure that this is what Taro said?"_

_Kankuro nodded grimly. "Yep. Practically heard it from her own mouth the way she reacted."_

_Gaara gave both his siblings a quick nod. "You are dismissed."_



Gaara suddenly felt very stupid. He motioned to Lee, showing him to stop the next time they caught up with Takira. When they caught up a few minutes later, Temari was not even on Takira's back. Takira herself looked to be in bad shape, bent over double with her hands on her knees, trying to get her breath back.

"I'm fine," she wheezed, "Just have to get my breath back. Go on, we'll be along."

Gaara, whose sand raised him a few meters in the air, lowered himself and Sasuke. "We're stopping." He said in his best no-conversation voice.

Takira raised her head, and he noticed a small amount of sweat beginning to bead at the top of her forehead. She smirked. "What? Tired already?"

"Look in the mirror, Sweaty." Sasuke said, smirking.

"Shut it, Uchiha, before I make you."

"I'd like to see how you'd do that, considering you can't breathe."

Takira, her panting somewhat under control flicked her wrist. Sasuke was on the ground in a second, and two small bluebirds jumped from the tree above them and began pecking him mercilessly. Ignoring Sasuke's yells of pain and protest, Takira crouched on the ground.

"Okay, I'm good, let's get going."

Gaara shook his head. "We're stopping for an hour." His voice left no room for argument, but Takira opened her mouth to talk anyway. The young Kazekage briefly wondered how long it was before Takira left home that she could not recognize a man's I-don't-want-you-to-talk-anymore voice. (A/N: Yes, Darkide and any of my other male readers, you guys all do have that extremely annoying feature where you talk and think that the conversation is over.).

She fixed him with a sharp almost-glare, knowing anything more just might get her killed. "I'm _fine,_" she said, her voice tinged with steel.

"You are about to fall over," Gaara replied, determined to keep his temper in check.

Takira shook her head, "I've been able to run for longer than this; I can push myself."

"Perhaps we should let her try, Gaara," Lee said peacefully. "When I was younger and had to train with Gai-sensei, I always learned to push my… self…" Lee trailed off as Gaara gave him the If-you-don't-stop-talking-you're-going-to-get-a-thraot-full-of-sand glare. He very wisely shut up.

Takira glared at Gaara, "I'm telling you, I'll be fine."

Gaara answered indifferently, "It is not necessary for you to strain yourself unduly." He smirked, "I still expect a perfectly clean house in the morning,"

"There's trouble out in this region at night. Robbers, ninjas, S-class missing nin, you name it, they'll come at you, not caring who you are what you can throw at them. You guys are _not _putting yourselves in jeopardy on my account."

Thus began the staring contest of the century.

Kankuro nudged Temari, "Eh, I think Takira's just as stubborn as Gaara."

Temari was not listening. Her eyes were riveted on Takira, focusing on what she had said before. Slowly she moved forward and put her hand on the other woman's shoulder in one of her rare moments of sensitivity.

"Takira, what did you mean just now, you won't put us in danger on your account?"

Takira did not even glance at her, keeping her eyes locked with Gaara's. "It is exactly as it sounded; there is no point in putting yourselves in danger for my comfort."

Temari frowned and placed herself between Takira and Gaara, her hands on her hips, right pointer finger moving to add emphasis to her words, "Takira, listen to me. You are as much apart of this family as any of us now. We did not shun you before so you've got nothing to worry about. You're our friend and that's for life." Temari said seriously.

Kankuro moved alongside his biological sister and winked at his new one, "Like it or not, Takira, you're family now."

Takira looked as if someone had slapped her. Before she had a chance to make herself look foolish by repeating the word, Temari slapped her on the back and hooked an arm around her neck.

"Yeah! So let's make camp!"

Kankuro smiled widely, "_You're _cooking, new little sister!"

As the others began to sit about a fire Sasuke had started amongst the arguing, knowing that it would end with the Kazekage winning, Takira looked to Gaara, for reaction or for consent he did not know.

Regardless, he smiled his small smile and nodded his head.

**A/N: Hope you all like it. Sorry about the wait; no inspiration whatsoever. If you would like to help with this growing, me-threatening problem, see the message below. If not, just review. If you don't want to review, know this; the crusty stuff you find on the walls of your grandparents house that you don't want to touch, but you don't want to leave to let your grandparents get sick is a one on my weirdness scale; purple flying monkeys in a tutu is a ten.**

**I NEED INSPIRATION!!!!!!! So, for anyone who knows the title of an inspiring/blood-pumping/generally good song then please, please tell me. I'm dying inside! Please no rap (whatsoever), R&B (unless it is really good) or pop (again unless it is really good). I am a rock girl and will be till the day I die. I like everything from alternative to punk to oldies to gothic, so send me anything!**


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: Still taking song suggestions!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

"Home at last!" Temari said, stretching her arms as if to embrace the entirety of the building's interior.

Kankuro grinned as he stepped into the living room, "Yeah back where there are actually single hot girls."

"Please, Kankuro, if Taro can't get one, you sure as hell can't." Takira said. She flipped and lay down on the couch, not bothering to take her desert robes off. She yawned, "You should stick with dolls."

"Bitch."

"Man-whore."

"Kankuro…" Gaara growled warningly. He knew that they were all tired and Takira and Kankuro's insults were only half-hearted, but he was in no mood.

"What! _She_ doesn't get yelled at!?"

"Come on, Takira, you can sleep in the guest room from now on." Temari said cheerfully.

Takira opened one of her already-closed eyes. "Oh so you knew about the guest room too, huh?" she said accusingly.

Temari nervously rubbed the back of her head, "Yeah well… ha ha… oh look at the time I've got to go put my rejuvenating mask on…"

Takira groaned as she got up; she was no doubt feeling the pain in her legs from running in the sand. Gaara remembered that whenever his Leaf ninja friends came for a visit, they would complain about aches and soreness in their legs from running in the sand. However, their aches were usually quickly remedied by Sakura, who now nearly surpassed her late mentor, Lady Tsunade, in healing. Gaara suddenly felt bad that he had not campaigned harder to get Lee and Sasuke (though perhaps not so much the latter) to stay the night, instead of running straight back to the Leaf Village.

Gaara noticed for the first time, the complete lack of noise in the room. His brother had somehow slipped from the room silently, and now (once again) he was left alone with Takira. She was sitting on the couch still, too tired to feel awkward. They stared at each other for a moment before Gaara slowly stepped away, into the kitchen.

Takira followed, mistaking his purpose. "If you're hungry, I could make something."

Gaara shook his head slightly and opened a cabinet on the same side of the kitchen's opening (there was not exactly a door; just a doorway, like the builder had forgotten to put the door there), over an old drainer to make coffee. Not there. He moved on the cabinet beneath the sink. Cleaning products, rubber gloves, but not what he was looking for.

"What are you doing then?"

Gaara did not answer. He was getting slightly frustrated.

_This is my house, damn it! Why can't I find anything?_

_**Welcome to being a man, hun.**_

_Myobi, I thought we agreed that you weren't going to stay in your host's body._

_**No, you agreed that. I said nothing.**_

_Myobi, I'm ordering you to get out of my head. _Gaara thought, opening yet another cabinet.

_**It's in the drawer above the cabinet next to the sink. **_Myobi 'said' as she retreated.

Gaara opened the cabinet, and inside, was the little blue tube that he was looking for. He growled slightly, before taking it out and all but slamming the drawer. Calming himself so not to alarm Takira, he turned towards the woman and held the tube out to her.

"This will take away the pain," he muttered, still annoyed.

Takira, as if sensing that he did not want to be bothered unnecessarily at that moment, took the tube gently from where it lay stretched across his fingertips. She smiled.



Takira felt a compulsory urge to do _something_ to thank him, not only for the ointment, but for everything. He gave her a new life before, and now it was (or so it felt to her) through his permission that she had something to live for other than drifting from village to village, warding off attacks from the silent and stealthy Akatsuki and the unorganized, erratic behavior from the Sound Village.

**Kiss him. **Said Myobi.

_Thank him. _Ordered common sense.

Takira did something between the two. She awkwardly (because she had never done it before except with Taro and that was very rare) put her arms around his shoulders, stepped in towards him, and gave him a quick squeeze. She quickly released him, lest she get on his bad side, and stepped away.

"I'm off to bed now," she said brightly. Quietly she added, "Thanks."

Gaara gave an imperial nod, which on any other day would have grated her nerves relentlessly, dismissing her. She chuckled lightly to herself, and walked out of the room.

She took a sharp turn from the door down the hall, pausing a moment to grab her bags. It was dark and narrow at night, and gave her the distinct feeling of a horror movie in which "she was never heard from again". She came to the last door, which was considerably older looking than the one on the right.

Opening it, she peeked inside. Sighing as the darkness limited her vision, she slipped inside, feeling along the walls for a light switch. She could tell the walls were circular or at least ovular. She stubbed her toe on something and muttered a few choice curses at it before feeling a string. She pulled on it lightly, and light flooded the room.

The string she was holding was to a small beside lamp, which sat upon a light wooden bedside table. The queen bed next to it as well, spread with a white quilt embroidered with pink and green flowers. The tall wardrobe tucked into a 'corner' of the circular room, right across from the door, was set at a 'catty-corner' and of the same wood as the two other pieces of furniture. Someone had tried to add a ' homey' look to the room, and placed a large, blue-green rush mat in the cent of the room. A faint glimmer of gold in a corner caught Takira's eye, and she noticed a floor-length mirror.

Takira looked next upon the walls. They had been painted yellow years before, and the window's sills were a gentle green, oddly enough, the color of Gaara's eyes. The ceilings were high.

An ache from her legs brought her down from the thoughts of hanging suspended from the rafters (the high she got she found quite exhilarating and the action itself helped her chakra control) to review the situation at hand. She quickly shed the desert robes and changed into the ruined maid's outfit from so long ago. She had accepted it as 'sleep-wear', for it was comfortable, but she could fight in it or flee down a crowded street in it without drawing too much attention to herself.

She rubbed some of the ointment on her legs and nestled under the covers of the blanket. A thought occurred to her, and she smiled as she drifted off, making plans for the next day.

**A/N: Review! And don't heckle me about how long it took.**


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: All right then… will start writing the chapter of magic now!... and now!... ok… now!**

**Disclaimer: And I will own Naruto now… and now! And… screw it, I'd rather have Trinity Blood.**

"Gaara, will you please go and get Takira?" Temari asked, walking about the kitchen and pulling out the ingredients to make pancakes.

As Kankuro walked in the room (Gaara winced as he noticed he was just barely dressed, in pajama and pulling on a black shirt), he grabbed a skillet and some unidentifiable piece of orange meat that Gaara seriously doubted went into pancakes. "Don't. Touch. The. Food." Kankuro said slowly.

Temari worked up a glare and snatched the skillet back, hitting her older brother on the head with it. "I was just getting everything ready for Takira!" she huffed. She turned her attention back to Gaara. "So, Gaara will you?"

Gaara, knowing that it would have been normal at that moment to ask why (and certainly wondering it himself) merely arched an eyebrow. Over the years, he had become more outspoken, though had not taken to speaking unnecessarily.

Temari shrugged and smiled weakly at his unasked question, "Takira will hear either me or Kankuro before we get in the door, and she might attack. Besides, even if you fail at not being detected, you are the only one of us who will probably be able to fend off one of her attacks."

Gaara nodded and left the room. He waked to the end of the hall, and was once again reminded as he always was, that he wished that the hallway had been built larger. When he was younger, and had taken it so many times before, it had not seemed nearly so small. Now, however, his shoulders would bump the walls if they were just a few inches broader, and he was not a muscular man.

He walked to his old room that the girl inside unknowingly slept in. He doubted very much whether she realized that none but his closest friends (mainly, Naruto and Sakura) had ever set foot within its walls since his childhood. He opened the door and let out a small sigh, to wake Takira but not alert her.

Takira's eyes snapped open to be blinded by the sun. She groaned miserably and flipped over on the bed, pulling a pillow over her face. Gaara could just make out her grumbles.

"Er… hate the sun… going to kill it…"

Smiling slightly at her antics, Gaara cleared his throat.

"Ah!"

Surprised, Takira had tried to pop out of the bed, but had rolled and wrapped herself in the blankets and sheet so much during the night, tripped on her own knees and toppled to the floor, thus pulling all blanket, sheets, and pillows with her. She was completely covered by white. A moment later, her hand shot into the air, pointing upwards.

"You did not see that!"

Gaara let out a small chuckle, and replied, "As you wish." He left her muttering muffled curses.



Takira quickly combed her fingers through her hair and set her clothes to rights. She ran out of the room a moment later, ignoring how the walls seemed to close in on her in the narrow hallway.

She walked into the kitchen, surprised to find that the odd green-colored paint and light wood cabinets comforted her. Briefly, she remembered that she was _home_ and should she choose it, she would wake up to this same room everyday. A small chill of excitement passed through her—she had never lived in a real house after she had left her family at age ten. She was not entirely sure that she would like being cooped up in a house, continuously feeling the need to report back there every time there was a storm or it was the 'normal' sleeping hours of the night. She calmed herself only by remembering that she did not exactly live with normal people and that she was an adult. Damn it, she would do what she wanted and either her new family would respect that or she would leave.

…

So what did she want?

…

She wanted to make breakfast for her family.

Smiling that the decision had been made, Takira stepped into the kitchen and gently took a piece of odd orange meat from Temari's hands.

"I'll take that," Takira frowned and sniffed the meat. It might have once been bacon… or ham. "Why don't you sit down… over there… away from the food." Takira added a bit more each time Temari did not sit down. When Temari still did not respond, Takira cocked her head slightly, as was habitual. "Temari? You okay?"

"You… you're smiling!" With that as her only preamble, Temari threw her arms around Takira's neck, causing the younger woman to stumble back a bit, muttering curses as she fell.

"What is with this family and mentioning my looks!" Takiran exploded half-jokingly, remembering Kankuro's remarks about her bottom (which she repaid him for by sinking his face into the wall) and Gaara's remark about her eyes (which she repaid him for by making him sit in his bedroom for a morning).

Her new 'family' laughed and took their seats, Takira cooking breakfast. A quarter of an hour later, and the pancakes were done, completely orange meat free. They ate in companionable silence, the talk increasing gradually as the amount of food available decreased. Finally, when even Kankuro was forced to put his fork down, Gaara stood.

"I have one meeting today, and then I'll be coming home. Tomorrow my schedule is free, so I suppose I'll be taking complaints then. I'm leaving it to you all to inform anyone who needs knowing."

Kankuro and Temari nodded obediently. "Right."

Gaara left. They listened to his soft footsteps as he left the house and the close of the door. When he was gone, Takira looked at both Kankuro and Temari, and quietly began talking as she cleaned.



As Gaara left the office, he sighed heavily and pushed his hair back. These proceedings necessary to keep lonely has-beens and ambitious could-bees feeling important grated on his nerves.

Consoling himself that it was, at least, over, he began walking home, considering whether or not to make a suggestion of his favorite meal to Takira or not. He stopped as he thought he heard something.

There was no noise.  
He began walking again, just to stop three paces later, sure someone was following him. His sand began to leak out of his gourd to protect as darkness closed around him.

**A/N: Yay new chapter!**


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N: Hi all.**

**Disclaimer: Admit it, the only reason you are looking here at this moment is because you think that I will have a smart ass comment to make. Well, I won't stoop to your level.**

Gaara awoke slowly, feeling warmth on his face and around his body. In the background, he could here quiet talking and chuckling. He was comfortable and resting on something soft and warm. Suddenly, the memory of what had happened came back to him, and his eyes snapped open, though he remained perfectly still, to elude his captors.

Even so, his open eyes must have attracted some sort of attention, for a light voice whispered, "I think he is awake."

Gaara ignored his protesting body as propped himself up, resting his entire body weight on his right arm. He turned to glare at the people, but instead, his eyes widened in surprise. There before him, stood his siblings and Takira.

He tried desperately to suck in air for a moment before shouting, "What is the meaning of this!"

While his siblings exchanged worried glances, Takira walked forward, smiling broadly. It was then that he noticed that she did not look as she normally did. He assessed her as she walked to him and he realized that the stretchy material covering her front was a bathing suit, she had on loose black shorts, and was barefoot. She sat on the sand next to him, and laughed a little.

"I told you I was gonna bring you on a vacation when we got back to the Sand Village, didn't I?"

Realization slowly dawned on Gaara, he sputtered a few times, sorting through what kind of argument he could provide for that stunning smile and sparkling eyes… bad road! Definitely bad road. Finally, he settled on a frustrated sigh.

"You all are infuriating."

Takira laughed again. "Yeah, but you're life is so much more fun with us. Now come on, let's go swimming."

"Swimming?" Gaara asked, surprised.

Takira did not answer, only jumped up and ran away, letting out a small, disused laugh. Gaara blinked a few times, and tried to think clearly. Was this a genjutsu? If so, he might not be opposed to staying trapped in it for a bit longer.

Temari walked over and kneeled beside him. "Come on, Gaara," she said softly. "This is your day, after all."

Gaara nodded. When she moved away to yell at Kankuro, he went through the most simple and most complex release jutsus he knew. When nothing happened, he stood…

and Shukkaku nearly burned his mind with sick images.

There, on the oasis's water edge, stood Takira. Her black bathing suit was a one-piece with three purple tiger scratches cutting across her right side. The back did not cut down even halfway her back and the front showed just the barest bit of cleavage. Her hair was spread out across her back, its rough cut doing nothing to take away from her beauty. She was facing slightly away from him, though he could still see her face, and stretching her arms across her chest.

He did not notice Temari coming up behind him until she spoke, directly into his ear, "Like it? I helped her pick it out myself."

Gaara swallowed hard and responded with a stiff, "Why should I care?" He heard Kankuro cursing loudly at the fire and a splash and Takira dove into the water. He added quietly, "But she does look nice."

Temari smiled widely and thrust a package into his arms, "Well put these on and tell her yourself!"

Gaara stumbled slightly as she pushed him towards a small outcropping. Mentally shrugging, he went to the outcropping to change.



Kankuro waited by fire as Temari seated herself. They sat in silence until they were sure that neither Gaara nor Takira would hear them.

Kankuro started with a, "Bet you twenty bucks that Takira makes the first move."

Temari shook her head, "I'll take that bet and win. Takira won't make the first move. Did you see the way she lit up when we told her she was part of the family? Or how awkward she was when she wasn't sure if we would take her back? Gaara will totally have to make the first move or she never will."

Kankuro shrugged and looked off to where Takira was swimming gracefully. "Too bad Gaara likes her; she's got a great body."

Temari hit him on the head, hard. "Get a life." Her expression softened and she looked down. "I don't think he even knows he likes her."

Kankuro sighed heavily, "Let's hope that they figure it out soon. You never know what's going to happen. Not in this violent world of ours."

Temari stared at her brother in amazement, "Wow you actually said something smart."

_Ari zzzz pi zzzzz asd zzzzm qqquuuaaazzz_

The harsh noise of the two-way radio grated on their ears. Temari lay down on the ground, picked up the radio, and flipped back up.

"Talk to me," she ordered into the radio.

"Temari, Kankuro, we need Gaara to come back file papers on the inventories of the third and fourth towers. Over," Baki said over the radio.

Kankuro and Temari shared glances before Temari responded, "Baki, can't one of us do that? Over."

"Neither of you can move fast enough to get from one side of the village to another before the sandstorms start. Over."

Temari bit her lip, and, without asked Kankuro responded, "What if each of us did one and filed the papers in Gaara's office? Over."

Baki paused a moment and responded, "You better be fast. Over and out."

Kankuro mock frowned, "Are you sure we should leave them without a chaperon?"

Temari shrugged, "At this point, we don't have much of a choice." She gave him a grin, "Besides, neither of them are as bad as you."

Kankuro smiled secretively, "Oh you're sure about that?"

Temari raised an eyebrow, "Yes," she said, albeit a little uncertainly.

Kankuro jerked his chin in the direction of the oasis's pond, "Check them out."



Gaara examined the swimwear that Temari had given him. Dark red bottoms and a white shirt, so he did not burn. Still, there was no point to have a shirt if he didn't have…

Ah. There it was.

He picked up the suntan lotion and was careful to make sure none of his skin would be exposed unnecessarily. His skin was uncommonly pale for the desert, and he burned easily. Peeling skin did not make him look like a diplomat in court.

He stepped out of the cave to see his siblings talking seriously. He suddenly felt very weary. He did not want to see what it was that was so serious as to have even Kankuro's face drawn. It was his vacation, after all.

He ducked beneath the large hanging boughs of a low palm tree and quickly walked towards the muddy shore, feeling the sand between his toes gradually soften and cool.

Takira was floating on her back, eyes closed, simple enjoying the sun overhead and water below. Gaara smirked. Now he could see if she could take a joke, since she played so many.

Silently he sunk into the water without notice from Takira. He held his breath, swimming (though he would admit he was swimming _badly_) towards the shadow that was Takira. He floated directly under her for a moment before he realized he had really planned anything. His need for air intensified.

Suddenly, getting an idea, Gaara reached up, and flipped her over. He resurfaced to see that Takira had not. He looked around wildly, a pit of cold dread welling within him as he became more afraid that he had somehow hurt Takira.

A moment later, he was back under water. Something had pulled him from underneath and now passed him to the surface. He kicked his legs a few times and resurfaced.

Takira was laughing at him from behind a hand. Her shoulders shook and her eyes watered (though that could have been from the salt). "Haha… Gaara that was good… haha… I gotcha back, though…haha." Her eyes refocused on Gaara when she had finished laughing, but began giggling again.

Gaara frowned slightly, "What?" He had tried to ask emotionlessly, but it came out as truly curious.

"You're… you're head." Takira said.

She got her giggles under control, and swam forward. She reached up and, before Gaara could stop her, pulled from Gaara's hair a weed. He attempted to move back, but too late. Sand swirled around Takira and wrapped around her middle, pulling her closer to him.

She gasped and wiggled, but only succeeded in entrapping her farther. She looked at Gaara and he was surprised that he did not see fear there, but slight surprise and mild amusement.

"Okay, put me down now."

_**Shukaku!**_ Myobi's voice reverberated in Gaara's mind.

The sand loosened and Takira was freed, but she did not move away. She cocked her head slightly, "What's with the face?"

Gaara frowned, "What face?"

Takira's face turned down into an exaggerated depressed and worried mask, "The I'm-all-alone face."

Gaara turned away.

Takira swam around him, and ducked so he was forced to look at her. "Gaara, I'm right here. Temari and Kankuro are here. We're not leaving anytime soon." She brightened and playfully splashed him. "So cheer up!"

Gaara smiled and, remembering Temari's advice said, "You look nice."

Takira cocked her head and Gaara could almost see the question mark curling above her head. A moment later, after having processed the compliment, she smiled stunningly and tip-toed over to him. She threw an arm around his shoulder and pulled him towards her in an awkward hug before moving away.

Gaara understood. She was not used to physical contact (with the exception of kunais aiming for her vital organs) and this was a slow progress to her. It was for Gaara, as well, although he had begun his process ten years before, during the Chunin exams.

He was about to say something when he noticed Takira's attention has been diverted elsewhere. He followed her line of sight until he saw his siblings walking towards them, grim-faced. Takira and Gaara glanced at each other quickly before getting out of the water.

Neither noticed the glint of mischief behind both of the sibling's eyes.

**A/N: I know, I know. It took forever, but I have finals coming up! Anyway, in a few days it will be summer break and everything will go a lot faster. Review!**


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N: Hiya!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. You know it, I know it, let's move on.**

"WHAT!"

Gaara winced at Takira's reaction. Temari and Kankuro had been gentle in their revelation. They had been called back to Suna and refused to take either him or Takira with them.

He could see the clever deviousness in their decision. Takira would be unable to find her way back to the village; the shifting sands of the desert confusing to even the most experienced of ninjas. Gaara would likewise not be incapable of leading them, for they had oh-so-cleverly knocked him out. They could have five miles away from the Leaf Village (though he sincerely doubted that they were), and he would not have known any better. They were stuck there for however long his siblings chose to be gone.

Takira was still cursing at Temari and Kankuro long after they had run away; taking with them half of the items that had been packed. When she finally seemed to be satisfied that her cursing had somehow made an effect, she calmed and took a deep breath.

"Want to try to track them?" she asked Gaara.

Gaara shook his head. "Watch the dunes," he said simply.

As they looked on, the sea of sand moved. The warm summer breeze picked up slightly, and entire dunes were rolled over as the soft sand shifted and settled.

"Oh," Takira said lamely. She sat down heavily, sighing exaggeratedly. "Now what?"

Gaara shrugged. He did not really want to figure anything out at the moment. "I'm on vacation, aren't I?" he asked.

Takira immediately brightened, reminded of her original objective. "That's right, and this is still going to be a great vacation!" She walked to the picnic blanket. "I'll cook; you go and swim."



Soon enough, the smell of cooking food wafted over the oasis. When Gaara looked up from where he was lazily floating in the water, something he had not done in years, Takira smiled and waved at him from the blanket, where she was keeping a vigil over the cooking food. Gaara inhaled and had to admit, at least to himself, that he was happy that he had been 'kidnapped' by his siblings and possibly insane housekeeper for a day of rest and relaxation.

"Gaara!" Takira stood up and waved to him, her hair blowing into her face suddenly, causing her to make a sound rather like a startled duck.

'_She really is beautiful.' _

**Tell heeerrr that. **Shukkaku called in a sing-song voice from the recesses of Gaara's mind.

_No…_

_**I too think that you should tell her that, young Gaara.**_

_Myobi, stay in your own mind. Shukkaku, stop talking to me. _Gaara mentally ordered, scowling as he did so.

He stepped out of the water and walked to the spread-out blankets. Before he could sit down, Takira stopped him.

"Nu-uh, mister. I changed before sitting down, you will too." She tossed him his clothes and pointed bossily towards the outcropping. Gaara growled warningly at her, but she just glared back defiantly. There was a fiery, amused spark just visible in her eye and the corner of her lips was trembling in a suppressed smile.

Gaara smirked, knowing it would annoy her, and left to the cave. '_She really is stubborn.' _He thought to himself as he pulled the new shirt over his head. As he finished up in the cave, he smiled to himself. (of course it would not be visible to the naked eye)

**You have no room to talk.** Shukkaku exclaimed.

'_I suppose I might be, too.' _Gaara conceded, in no mood to debate. Shukkaku growled an affirmative.

Then he heard Takira's scream.



Takira frowned as Gaara ran to her, his eyes widened and looking angry. This was a complete change from the calm, relaxed man she had seen just a few minutes ago. He skidded to a stop next to her. His head swiveled as he looked about wildly. She stood, a wary feeling welling in her stomach.

"Gaara, what's wrong?"

He stilled instantly, his eyes narrowing. "You screamed."

Takira tensed, stretching her senses to their limits. That could not be good. "No I didn't," she said darkly, her eyes sweeping their surroundings.

Gaara turned about as well, looking for some sign of movement or danger. "If not you, then…"

Takira saw the kunai moving through the air. Instinctively, she looked about for some type of shadow. There was none. Cursing, she pulled Gaara to the ground, muffling his startled growl by pressing herself on top of him. She looked up. It was noon, and her powers were diminished nearly entirely.

"Damn it." She cursed.

She looked at the kunai that had imbedded itself in the ground next to them, millimeters away from her unprotected back. With sinking certainty, she knew it was a dangerous enemy.

She felt herself moving and her face hardened as it was pressed into the bottom of the kunai, driving the knife deeper into the sand. Another kunai went whizzing past Gaara's ear.

Not stopping to strategize, they sprung into defending positions, Takira taking out a kunai and squatting close to the ground, while Gaara called his sand to him, keeping himself in a half-standing position. Instantly, assorted kunai and other weapons began flying at them.

As she fended off various sharp objects, Takira called out to Gaara, "Can you see anyone?"

"No," he replied after a moment.

Takira barely dodged a group of throwing stars, one of them slicing through her skirt, grazing her leg. She peered through the hail of weapons, using her bare hands to defend herself as she attempted to find the source. No such luck, however, as she was forced to duck or block every few seconds. After a minute of deliberation, she called out to Gaara again.

"Can you get your sand to lift us above this desert, so we can see the attackers?"

"Yes but," Gaara paused as another sand wall lifted above him, "you would be even more easily targeted there than ever."

"Don't worry about it, I can take care of my self," Takira responded, emotionlessly. She had never fought with anyone else before, but she knew that she could at least protect herself long enough to find the ninja attacking them.

She felt the sand beneath her feet loosen. She lost her balance and felt Gaara's arm slip around her waist, steadying her. She ignored the fluttering in her stomach as the weapons began coming at them more rapidly. As they lifted into the air, her eyes scanned the ground for the sign of their attackers.

"There," she heard Gaara say stonily.

Takira turned about to see two lumps of oddly-colored sand to the left and right of them. From each mound came an assortment of weapons. The attackers did not seem to have noticed yet that their prey was in the air. Before she knew it, Gaara was moving them towards one.

When they hit the ground, Takira fell to her knees with a hard thud. Gaara was already taking care one of the attacker. His sand was flying everywhere, getting into her eyes and nose. She coughed and blinked to clear her senses. Gaara should have no problem dispatching the assailant, but he was fast and had many weapons.

Suddenly, Takira fell forward into the sand. She did not make a sound as a kunai was placed at her throat, calmly lifting her nose from the sand just enough to allow her to breathe. She neither looked at her captor nor flinched away as the blade cut shallowly into her skin.

"We've been searching for you for years, little one," the man above her said.

The voice was deep and rough and completely recognizable. She nearly laughed with relief when she heard it. A quick movement of one of her legs sent the man off balance, allowing her neck to move a few inches away from the kunai. She flipped herself over and pinned the man to the ground, using the same kunai he had tried to use on her to keep him there. She found herself staring into bright, teal eyes.

"Why hello there, Aoi. How's life treating you?" she asked rhetorically.

"Damn you, demon child," the man under her spat angrily.

Takira frowned, "I'm hurt, Aoi. Truly, deeply hurt." She waited for a few seconds. "And now I'm over it." She inched the blade closer to his throat. "So what are you doing here, in the desert of all places? I don't dare think it's just for little old me."

"You will die. You and everyone close to you." The man chuckled despite his position. "Starting with the man that you seem so close to."

Takira felt as if she was turning in slow-motion. Gaara was close to catching the other man with his sand; in a few more seconds he would be ensnared by the sand and that would be the end of him. However, he was so concentrated on his target that if a disguised someone was silent enough, that someone could easily sneak up on him. Which was exactly what they did.

"Gaara!"

**A/N: Yes, I know that by now you all hate me and have probably stopped reading the story… which means you wouldn't be reading this, either. (Sweatdrops) Okay, for my readers that haven't totally abandoned the story, there is no way I can express how sorry I am!!... Except to give out all my cookies… but then how would I be able to keep the Naruto characters here?**

**Lee: I DEMAND COOKIES.**

**You know, I didn't actually want Lee here. And he is surprisingly demanding.**

**Okay… yeah… I feel really bad about this but…**

**I decided to do a story on deviantart. Anyone who likes my stories probably would like that, but I promise that this story is probably a lot better than the stories on fanfiction. My penname on there is 'elpmip' and keywords for it are 'fallon', 'love', 'insanity', 'warrior', 'moon', 'sun', and 'fortress'. You'll probably have to enter a bunch of them in. After that, you will probably have to go into my gallery to find the prologue and read it in order. So, here's a summary:**

**Men have attacked the Fortress of Stars. After a night of terror and confusion, only a woman, Fallon, and her daughter escape the massacre. Alone and afraid, they flee to the Fortress of Stone.  
Now, Fallon must try to become a part of the Fortress' daily life, but the residents are scornful of both her and her daughter, who is more than meets the eye. At the same time, Fallon must wrestle with her depression from her husband's and her family's death. With no respite from either, Fallon slowly begins to question her faith and her sanity.**


End file.
